Windsor Park Stud’s first season sire Circus Maximus (IRE) has a nice filly on the rise with the Paul Shailer trained Ha’Penny Hatch making it two wins in as many starts when saluting at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Stepped up to 1400m after her debut win at the same track earlier this month, Ha’Penny Hatch did a great job to power clear and win by nearly two lengths as favourite for Damien Thornton.
“We're a little bit disappointed the race didn't go ahead last week, but kudos to RQ, putting the race on today for Saturday prize money,” said Paul Shailer.
“On paper it looked like her race to lose really, she looked like she'd get a soft lead on paper and that's how it panned out, and Damien was able to give her a couple of nice sectionals after beginning well, and she's a pretty kind filly.
“I'm convinced she'd be a better chaser but we just sort of elected to take bad luck out of the equation and ride it positively, and once she was in front, she looked like she got into a lovely rhythm.”
Shailer will consider his options for the talented filly, whose pedigree suggests she will have trouble getting further.
“It might just be time just to give her a little break, just give her four weeks off and then there might be something at the later end of the Carnival for her,” he said.
“She's a good nice tough filly and she has tough New Zealand breeding, so I think she'll go on all kinds of tracks and may even get over a bit further once she learns to just relax a little bit.”
Ha'penny Hatch was a modest $33,000 purchase for Shailer Racing Pty Ltd / Hughes Bloodstock from the Wentwood Grange draft at NZB Karaka Book 1. She is the second foal and first winner of Group II Wellington Guineas winner Emily Margaret, a daughter of Pins out of New Zealand’s top rated filly in 2009, Seven Schillings.
A Champion Miler by Galileo, Circus Maximus stands at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand .
Along with Ha'penny Hatch in Australia, he has sired several winners in the Northern Hemisphere Group I placed Green Storm.
