The 3-year-old Spirit Of Boom filly Heyoka made an exciting career debut in the Seasons Greetings From BRC Maiden Plate (1200m) at Doomben on Wednesday.
Ridden by Boris Thorton for Steven O'Dea and Matthew Hoysted, the Proven Thoroughbreds colour bearer took up the running but appeared to be running on empty at the 200m when headed by Big Demeanor.
It seemed to wake Heyoka up, and she rallied and was going better than anything on the line in defeating the $500,000 I Am Invincible colt Big Demeanor by three-quarters of a length with the Winning Rupert filly Winning Edition a short-neck back in third.
A $60,000 buy for Proven Thoroughbreds/O'Dea Hoysted Racing from the Kenmore Lodge draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, Heyoka is the second winner from as many runners for the hard-knocking Jet Spur mare. Lady Sioux.
The winner of seven and placed in eight of her 26 starts for Heyoka's breeder Joe Rapisarda, Lady Sioux is out of the Encosta De Lago mare De Lago Flash, a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 NZ Thousand Guineas winner Hasahako.
De Lago Flash is a daughter of the stakes-winning Danehill mare La Lagune, runner-up in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
Heyoka is the 71st winner of the season for Eureka Stud's Spirit Of Boom, placing him 5th in the nation and equal to that of Snitzel.