Prepared by the Hayes / Dabernig training partnership, Cristal Eyes was second on debut last month before finishing a close up third in the Group II VRC Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Flemington on March 17.
Ridden a confident race by Damien Oliver, she travelled sweetly outside the
leader and kicked away to score a dominant length and a quarter win in the 1400
metre maiden."She’s already shown that she is stakes class and won with a bit in hand, so it was a comfortable win,” said Oliver.
Representing her trainers was Bruno Rouge-Serret, who feels there are better wins ahead for Cristal Eyes.
"Damien was told to ride her like she was the best filly in the race and she was,” he said.
"We’ll see how she pulls up, but we know she’s a stakes class filly and if they find the right race for her in Sydney she’ll be on the float.”
Cristal Eyes was a $100,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Arrowfield draft for Echo Beach Bloodstock and is a three-quarter sister -in-blood to All Too Hard’s Group II MRC Sandown Guineas winner Villermont.
She is the first winner for Champagne Run (USA), a US bred winning daughter of Group I STC Coolmore Classic winner Bollinger, who is also the dam of US Group II winner and sire Friesan Fire.
Champagne Run is closely related to Group I VRC Victoria Derby winner Benicio and her grand-dam is Golden Slipper winner Bint Marscay, so Cristal Eyes is certainly bred in the purple.
Cristal Eyes is one of five new stakes horses this month for All Too Hard, who is working up to something big - read about him here.
