A sensational way for Leneva Park’s Royal Meeting (IRE) to get off the mark with Hayasugi leading home a first-season trifecta in the $200,000 Group III Sportsbet Blue Diamond Preview for fillies at Caulfield on Australia Day.
Ridden by Jamie Kah for Clinton McDonald, Hayasugi came from midfield to deny the front-running Pierata debutant Tobeornottobe by a short-head with the Microphone first starter Matisse a long-neck back in third.
One of just two runners to have previous race experience, Hayasugi finished second in the $500,000 Inglis Banner (RL) at Moonee Valley on October 28 before finishing fifth in the Group III Ottawa Stakes at Flemington on November 9.
“Last year we won the Adams Stakes with Star Patrol for these clients,” McDonald said.
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“She was bought as a birthday present, and it’s and she is a good birthday gift.
“She has made a lot of improvement. She has done a terrific job because she has only had one soft trial. There is a lot of improvement to come.
“She had to do it tough. She got back and found the line. She may have petered on the run with 50m to go but was tough enough to win it. You can’t beat race day experience.
“We think 6-furlongs will be right up her alley. She is not a 1000m horse and she shows us at home a good turn of foot.”
Hayasugi was a $47,500 purchase for James Bester Bloodstock / C Mok from the Fairhill Farm draft at the 2022 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
She is the third winner from four to race for the unraced Commands mare China Road, a half-sister to Bejewelled (Anabaa), a multiple stakes-placed winner of seven races.
From a hugely successful family nurtured by the Baxter family’s Macquarie Stud, China Road was sold online for just $10,000 in 2017.
China Road has a spotty record at stud of late but it is not through the want of trying, She missed in 2021 after being covered by Churchill (IRE0 and North Pacific). Failed to conceive in 2022 after visits to Royal Meeting (IRE) and Prague. And was served by Jacquinot in November after missing to an earlier cover by Royal Meeting (IRE).
Leneva Park’s handsome Invincible Spirit stallion Royal Meeting won both hi starts at two, highlighted by the Group 1 Criterium International (1400) at Chantilly.
The Godolphin colour-bearer was brought to Australia by Saeed Bin Suroor and was a close-up third in the Group III Moonga Stakes.
A half-brother to multiple Group II winner Heavy Metal (Exceed And Excel), Royal Meeting (IRE) is from the Champion 2YO Filly in South Africa in 2004-05, Rock Opera (Lecture0, winner of the Group 1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship.
