A Hellbent two year-old filly from a famous female family made a winning debut at Doomben on Wednesday as a short priced favourite.
Trained by Kelly Schweida and ridden by Cejay Graham, Sunrays showed enough when second at her only previous trial last month to go out favourite for the 1110m maiden and duly got the cash.
She stalked the leader and was a little green when asked to surge past it, but was strong to the line winning by a length.
Not offered at auction, Sunrays was retained to race by her breeder Peter Moran and comes from a family that has enjoyed much success racing in his green and white colours.
She is the first living foal of Hiccups, an unraced Fastnet Rock grand-daughter of Moran’s million dollar earning multiple Group II winner Staging, who was by Success Express (USA), a stallion that spent a portion of his long and many storied stud career at the former Moran owned Noble Park Stud in Queensland.
Not only an elite racemare, Staging was a remarkable producer leaving Group I winners Excites and Duporth as well as Group II winner Tickets and she was also the grand-dam of Champion South African 2YO Colt and dual Group I winning sprinter Delago Deluxe.
Sunrays is the third juvenile winner this season for Hellbent joining stakes-winner Tremonti and New Zealand trained Group II placed filly Marokopa Falls.
Hellbent is the most represented sire at Inglis Classic this year with 30 yearlings on offer.
