As positive as he is, and they don't come any more confident, John Messara surely could not in his wildest dreams picture the Group I Caulfield Cup (2400m) being fought out by the progeny of Flying Spur and Not A Single Doubt.
Yet here we are struck numb in disbelief, as Flying Spur's Boom Time, under an inspired ride by journeyman Cory Parish, running down the gloriously brave Not A Single Doubt mare Single Gaze in Caulfield's $3 million
With import Sir Isaac Newton (GB) setting up a long lead in the middle stages it was left up to Single Gaze to cart the field up to the tearaway leader but she was left a sitting shot for something to come from behind and it was Cory Parish sneaking up along the rail on Boom Time who gained all the breaks to win by a length and a quarter from Single Gaze with the Aidan O'Brien-trained Johannes Vermeer (IRE) doing the best of the imports a head back in third. (photos Grant Courtney).
"He went into the race as the underdog and I just think it's a great story for Cory Parish who really works hard for us," Tom Dabernig, who trains in partnership with David and Ben Hayes, said.
"David was loyal to him and he rode it perfectly. He is a horse that goes forward and makes his own luck. He has a good hard run (in the Herbert Power) a week ago and I think he was cherry ripe today.
"He gave a good hard kick and they couldn't get past him, so we are thrilled for everyone involved."
For David
"What a great horse, David Hayes said.
"Backed up from that gut-buster last week and I think that good hard run won him the race.
"It's fantastic for Cory, he rides a lot of trackwork for us and he misses out on a lot of good Saturday rides. When I had the ownership of this horse it was a pleasure to put him on and reward him for all his hard work."
A 6yo entire, Boom Time advances his record to 7 wins, 2 seconds and 7 thirds from 32 starts with earnings of $2,459,025.
Consigned to the 2013 Magic Millions Perth Yearling sale, Boom Time failed to make his $80,000 reserve and did his early racing for owner-breeder Kim Loxton's Ferrari Racing & Breeding.
Loxton purchased Boom Time's dam Bit Of A Ride (Snippets) after she won a maiden at Wyong for Allan Denham in March 2002.
She was sent to Neville Parnham, for whom she added wins at Ascot, Belmont, Pinjarra and Kalgoorlie.
She retired with a record of 7 wins and 3 placed from 32 starts but that was a side note to a pedigree that was about to explode.
Bit Of A Ride is a three-quarter sister to Group II BTC Cup winner Scandinavia the dam of Magnus, Scandiva, Willanda and Arctic Flight as well as the unraced Helsinge the dam of Black Caviar and All Too Hard.
Bit Of A Ride slipped in 2014 and 2015 to the Exceed And Excel stallion
Over five years since his sire Flying Spur earned an honourable retirement at Arrowfield Stud, Boom Time becomes the 13th Group I winner for the Golden Slipper-winning son of Danehill.
