While having just turned 5, former Sydneysider Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt), who now calls Lindsay Park home, broke through for his first black type victory on Saturday, winning the Listed SAJC Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville in impressive fashion.
Group 1 placed when third in the Randwick Guineas (1600m) behind Dundeel’s multiple elite level winners Celestial Legend and Militarize at 3, the former John O’Shea and Tom Charlton trained gelding has been in the care of Ben, Will and JD Hayes since February this year.
Scoring at Flemington three starts back, his first race win since victory in the Pierro Plate on debut some 861 days prior, the change of scenery has clearly worked for the Ron Finemore and John Leaver bred and raced gelding.
Settling in fourth last position, with the Grahame Begg trained race favourite Splash Back (Fr) (Le Harve) settling right behind him, the Celine Gaudray ridden Cafe Millenium tracked a little wide, and started to make his run before the home turn was reached.
As the field headed past the 300m mark, race leader Easy Campese (Sidestep) was still full of running, but Cafe Millenium was really starting to hit his straps down the outside and with 100m to run, he swept to the lead.
Running away for an easy two length score, ears pricked as he crossed the line, Cafe Millenium defeated Splash Back, with the last start Group 3 Behemoth Stakes third placegetter Lingani (America) finishing back in third.
The third winner from as many runners for the Hayes/Gaudray combo at Morphettville on Saturday, the jockey was confident there is still better things ahead for Cafe Millenium.
“I definitely can’t complain, I’m grateful for the boys (Hayes) giving me the three rides, to be able to pull them all off was really good,” said Gaudray post-race.
“From barrier two (today) … he’s been stepping a bit slow, I just wanted to help him out and get him a little bit closer.
“He still landed a bit far back, I got in a good position, there was good speed, he’s not the greatest breather so I just wanted to keep it nice and smooth.
“I come out around the corner and built into it nicely, he is a nice horse, I do think he is a class above most of these horses – he’ll be going on to do bigger and better things.”
Carrying the Newhaven Park Stud brand, Cafe Millenium is out of the 2yo winning High Chaparral mare Veloce Forte, herself a half-sister to the Group 2 MVRC Moonee Valley Classic winner and Group 1 Queen Of The Turf runner-up Gypsy Diamond and also to the dual Listed-winning, Group 3 placed Miraval Rose (Grunt).
Veloce Forte has had a chequered breeding career since foaling Café Millenium, with the next named foal being the unraced 2yo colt Forte Fatale (Needs Further) in the John O'Shea and Tom Charlton yard with the mare missing in the subsequent two breeding seasons.
Gypsy Diamond, along with her dam Gypsy Tucker, were both consigned through the 2018 Inglis Chairman’s Sale via Newhaven Park’s draft with Yulong paying $1.8m and $800,000 respectively for the pair.
Gypsy Tucker has since gone on to produce the stakes winner Miraval Rose, while Gypsy Diamond has produced the promising 4yo Blue Vein (Blue Point), while the unraced 3yo colt Prince Of Sparta (Written Tycoon) is in the stable of Ciaron Maher.
It is also the family of the Kooringal Stud-based, dual Group 3 winner Finance Tycoon (Written Tycoon), whose first crop are 2yo’s of the current racing season.
Become the 85th individual stakes winner for Arrowfield Stud’s Not A Single Doubt, it was a great day for past and present stallions of the farm with The Autumn Sun and Snitzel also recording stakes winners.
