Hayasugi Continues on Winning Way In G1 Blue Diamond Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday February 24

The Royal Meeting (IRE) filly Hayasugi may finally have earned the respect she deserves when leading home a 1-2-3-4 for fillies in Saturday’s $2,000,000 Group 1 Sportsbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

Hayasugi arrives on time (image Grant Courtney)

Hayasugi arrives on time (image Grant Courtney)

Defying the pattern of the day, the Clinton McDonald-trained filly launched down the centre of the track from worse than midfield under Jamie Kah.

The Gai Waterhouse and  Adrian Bott-trained Lady Of Camelot looked likely to complete a banner day for her sire, Written Tycoon when setting up what looked to be a winning lead at the 200m, only to go down fighting by a long-head.

Another daughter of Written Tycoon, Kuroyanagi, confirmed the form of the Blue Diamond Prelude when narrowly beaten by Hayasugi, was a length back in third.

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Hayasugi became the first filly since Midnight Fever in 1987 to sweep the Blue Diamond Preview, Blue Diamond Prelude and Blue Diamond Stakes.

 

Bred by Mike O’Donnell at Fairhill Farm, Hayasugi advances her record to three wins and a second from five starts with earnings of $1,635,530. She was offered by Fairhill Farm at the Inglis Weanling Sale where she was snapped up by James Bester Bloodstock / Rathosheen Bloodstock / C Mok for just $47,500.

“She’s determined, she’s tough, and I thought I was stupid coming in today thinking she was 20/1 as her last run was fantastic,” McDonald said.

Hayasugi is a ripping filly (image Grant Courtney)

Hayasugi is a ripping filly (image Grant Courtney)

“She had no favours and again today, Jamie’s fiancé (Ben Melham) was trying to knock us down, but anyway, we knocked him off and found the line, it was great.

“It’s one of those races (the Golden Slipper) where I used to say to my mates, history’s got to repeat, Blue Diamond, Golden Slipper. We’re lucky enough now to have a live chance and I think the Golden Slipper will really suit this filly and the way she attacks the line, for a young two-year-old, her tenacity is second to none.

“She’ll go straight to the Slipper, I’m sort of following the same program we did with Courtza.

“People can then see you can train two-year-olds and win group ones. We’re only a small stable and we always seem to have a good horse, but today, I’d never been so confident coming to the races with a horse. It was a faultless preparation; she looked magnificent and it was just unreal.

“It was quite funny we’ve got a picture in our stables of Courtza winning the Golden Slipper and Mum got my young fella Harry to pull it down and she had number 11 on the saddle cloth, so we said there’s a bloody omen. I said we are a good thing today!”

Hayasugi as a foal with her dam China Road

Hayasugi as a foal with her dam China Road

Hayasugi 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.

China Road was sold online for just $10,000 in 2017. She missed in 2021 after being covered by Churchill (IRE) and North Pacific. She 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).

Hayasugi a $47,500 Inglis Australian Weanling

Hayasugi a $47,500 Inglis Australian Weanling

Hayasugi is the star turn from the first crop of Leneva Park’s handsome stallion Royal Meeting (IRE).  The son of Invincible Spirit won both his starts at two, highlighted by the Group 1 Criterium International (1400m) at Chantilly.

Royal Meeting (IRE) (image Leneva Park)

Royal Meeting (IRE) (image Leneva Park)

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Race Result - Sportsbet Blue Diamond Stakes Gr1 1200m

Caulfield Track: Good(4) Time: 1:09.56
1
Hayasugi
- 2f Royal Meeting (IRE) x China Road (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: C W McDonald Rdr: Jamie Kah 55
2
0.2
Lady Of Camelot
- 2f Written Tycoon (AUS) x Miss Debutante (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: A Hyeronimus 55
3
1.2
Kuroyanagi
- 2f Written Tycoon (AUS) x Tetsuko (AUS) (I Am Invincible (AUS))
Tnr: W Clarken & N O'Shea Rdr: B Avdulla 55
4
1.3
Eneeza
- 2f Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Sweet Sherry (AUS) (Bel Esprit (AUS))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: Damian Lane 55
5
1.4
Stay Focused
- 2c Cosmic Force (AUS) x Coral Reef (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: P Stokes Rdr: D W Stackhouse 57
6
1.9
Fearless
- 2c Pierata (AUS) x Matildare (AUS) (Rothesay (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: M J Dee 57
7
2.4
Matisse
- 2f Microphone (AUS) x Sanadaat (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: L Currie 55
8
2.5
Traffic Warden
- 2c Street Boss (USA) x Efficiently (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Craig Williams 57
9
2.9
High Octane
- 2c Deep Field (AUS) x Granny Red Shoes (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: B Shinn 57
10
3
Rue De Royale
- 2c Per Incanto (USA) x Urban Royal (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: C Schofield 57
11
3.4
Spywire
- 2c Trapeze Artist (AUS) x Secret Trail (AUS) (Denman (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: John Allen 57
12
3.6
Dublin Down
- 2c Exceedance (AUS) x Dublin Lass (AUS) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: H Coffey 57
13
3.7
Coleman
- 2c Pierata (AUS) x Sboog (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: M M Laurie Rdr: B Melham 57
14
5.2
In Her Eyes
- 2f Star Witness (AUS) x Love Spy (AUS) (Love Conquers All (AUS))
Tnr: L & T Corstens Rdr: B Mc Dougall 55
15
5.5
Flyer
- 2f Exceedance (AUS) x Miss Toorak Flyer (AUS) (Toorak Toff (AUS))
Tnr: Jason Warren Rdr: Jye McNeil 55
16
7.3
Zestiman
- 2c Zoustar (AUS) x Estijmaam (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: Declan Bates 57
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