After being the bit player in a Justify (USA) trifecta at Randwick-Kensington on July 17, the blue-blooded colt Dawn Service announced himself as a player in the spring with a 4-length romp in the Happy Horses' Birthday Maiden Hcp (1300m) at Hawkesbury on Thursday.
Ridden by Tim Clark for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Dawn Service jumped a length in front, and that's the closest they came to him. Kicking clear on straightening, the son of Justify defeated the Pierata colt, Imposing Pier by four lengths, with the Hellbent filly Sugarfire the same distance back in third.
Owned in a partnership that includes the industry heavy hitters Coolmore, Yulong and Go Bloodstock, in whose colours he runs, Dawn Service was a $1,400,000 buy for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is the first foal of the Champion 3YO Filly in Australia in 2018-19, Sunlight.
Sunlight won eleven of her 24 starts, highlighted by Group 1 wins in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, Newmarket Hcp, and MVRC William Reid Stakes. She banked over $6 million and put Zoustar on the map.
Aquis/McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Blue Sky Bloodstock purchased Sunlight as a yearling from the Widden Stud draft for $300,000. When offered by Widden Stud at the 2020 National Broodmare Sale, Sunlight was sold to Tom Magnier for $4,200,000.
Coolmore clawed back a further $1,400,000 when Paul Moroney Bloodstock / C Bruggeman had the final say on Sunlight's Wootton Bassett colt from the Coolmore draft at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
There are plenty of blue skies ahead as Sunlight has a weanling filly by Home Affairs and is back in foal to Justify (USA), who sadly will be missing from the Coolmore roster in the forthcoming breeding season.
