Saturday’s opening race at Eagle Farm, the Listed $160,000 BRC Show A Heart Stakes (1500m) saw Kelly Schweida’s talented Hellbent filly Sunrays record her second black type victory.
When you look at her record and note the only time she's been beaten in all six starts was a second to Beadman (Snitzel) in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic, it clearly highlights the class of the Peter Moram bred and raced filly.
Starting the favourite just ahead of Chris Waller’s Providence (Wootton Bassett), Tommy Berry settled Sunrays in a mid-field position after jumping away from barrier 3.
Sunrays’ stablemate North Pole (Farnan) took up the running under Angela Jones and when the home turn was reached, Michael Freedman’s Just A Journey (Justify) and the Ciaron Maher trained Jenni Gone Bonkers (Maurice), who had interestingly finished one-two at their most recent start, were coming around the outside to put themselves into a challenging position.
Coming even wider, Berry came off the heels of Jenni Gone Bonkers to commence his run on the daughter of Hellbent before working home too well to defeat that filly by three-parts of a length.
Jenni Gone Bonkers’ stablemate Navy Pilot (I Am Invincible), a full-brother to the former Maher trained Tiz Invincible who sold recently at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for $2.8m, worked home for third, gaining some valuable black-type.
“Great to see her win. I don't think I've seen a jockey more confident than Tommy, as he was pretty adamant, she'd be hard to beat,” stated Schweida.
“She's just so, so tough. You know, we elected not to go to the group one next week, the mile, because she's done all this really off her first prep. She had two weeks, a little freshen up, but done a super job.”
“It was good to get another win for the Moran family. It was great.”
“She's got a gorgeous head on her, big head, big ears, good body. Really nice filly going forward.
Berry echoed Schweida’s sentiments.
“She's a lovely filly. I still think the best is yet to come with her next preparation,” said Berry
“Look, you'd love to see her here next week, but whether a weak back up is the right thing to do with her, I probably don't think so. But she's a lovely filly going forward.”
“Very exciting to see what she can do over the spring and looking forward to them bringing her to Sydney.”
Retained to race by her breeder Peter Moran, Sunrays is the first living foal of Hiccups, an unraced Fastnet Rock grand-daughter of Moran’s million dollar earning multiple Group 2 winner Staging (Success Express (USA)), one of the most recognisable runners to sport Moran’s green and white silks.
Staging is also the dam of elite level winners Excites (Danewin) and Duporth (Red Ransom) as well as the Group 2-winning, Group 1 placed Tickets (Redoute's Choice) while the family also includes the Australian-bred, South African raced Group 1-winning sprinter Delago Deluxe (Encosta de Lago).
Hiccups produced a colt last spring by Widden Stud’s Written By and appears to be in foal to King’s Legacy.
Joining Group 1 winners Magic Time and Benedtta, Sunrays is one of seven stakes winners for Hellbent who will stand at a fee of $38,500 (inc. GST) in the spring.
