Shortly after the two-year-old Frankel gelding Converge opened his stakes account in the Listed Fernhill Hcp, Frankel’s star three-year-old daughter Hungry Heart added a second Group 1 to her CV with a dominant performance in the $1million ATC The Star Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick.
The winner of the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) a fortnight back, the Chris Waller-trained chestnut came with a well-timed finish under Kerrin McEvoy to defeat the Shamus Award filly Duais by one and a quarter lengths with the Ocean Park filly Bargain a short-neck back in third.
The elegant daughter of Frankel advanced her record to four wins and four seconds from 12 starts with earnings of $1,547,700.
“She is very special. As we said after her first Group 1 win a few weeks back. the international stage is what racing’s all about,” Waller said.
“People are recognising Australian racing for all the right reasons during Covid and when you’ve got a Frankel filly winning the Australian Oaks, I think it’s pretty special.
“She backed up that good run two weeks ago and it’s a good advertisement for our system. We had her running in the Golden Slipper, and now she’s running at the extreme distance (2400m) for a three-year-old filly, so thanks to my team and obviously a great ride by Kerrin McEvoy.
“she’s just matured with age. As a two-year-old she used to get on her toes and be a bit bubbly as you’d expect a young filly to be. As a three-year-old now, only 12 months later she’s really matured into a relaxed beautiful horse to work with.”
Purchased by Belmont Bloodstock Agency for $300,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Hungry Heart races in the colours of her breeder, Yulong Investments.
Hungry Heart is the first foal of her dam Harlech (GB), who Godolphin sold off after failing at her only start in England.
A daughter of the excellent broodmare sire Pivotal, Harlech (GB) was purchased by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock / Yulong Investments for $60,000 gns out of the Godolphin draft at Tattersalls. Put in foal to Frankel (GB) to southern hemisphere time, Harlech (GB) landed in Australia in January 2017.
Harlech (GB) is a half-sister to the Group II-placed Maamora (Dubawi) out of the stakes-winning Azamour mare Zoowraa, from the family of the Belmont Stakes and Preakness Stakes winner Risen Star.
Yulong consigned a Snitzel half-sister to Hungry Heart to the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale but took her home when bidding fell short of her $650,000 reserve.
Not covered in 2019, Harlech (GB) visited Alabama Express last spring.
