Improving off her two prior placed efforts, Ben, Will and JD Hayes appear to have a handy runner for the spring after 2yo Exceedance filly Stars Of Dom broke her maiden at her third start, leading home her stablemate to win the Next Generation Sprinters Series Final (1200m) at Flemington.
Sent off the favourite in the small field of seven, jockey Craig Williams allowed the filly to settle in the middle of the pack behind stablemate Resolutely after jumping away well from the middle of the line down the famed Flemington straight.
Working the widest in the run, jockey Lachlan Neindorf allowed Bivouac filly One Day At A Time to work forward where she went a few lengths clear to take the lead in the middle of the track.
With Resolutely wrestling the lead back with 400m to run, Williams had angled Stars Of Dom off the back of those ahead of her where she was starting to present herself down the outside to challenge.
Sprinting with gusto, Stars Of Dom levelled up with Resolutely at the 100m mark, pulling clear to win by three quarters of a length with a further two back Put To The Sword (NZ) in what was an encouraging debut by the Sword Of State colt.
“She was certainly ready for a testing 1,200m, and I thought it was a great ride by Craig,” said Will Hayes who was representing the stable.
“She can be a little bit tricky. He summed the race up well, and, yeah, I think her best work was through the line, so she's done a good job.
“She was a bit raw through her jump outs and trials, and the way that she did it.
“She was very aggressive in her first one and she's really turned into quite a mature professional filly. So very exciting times going forward.
When asked if she could get over further, Hayes feels her pedigree suggests she can.
“I think she can,” said Hayes. “On the dam side, the pedigree suggests so. But the key is to see her continue to race kindly in the early stages. So at this stage in her career, she's probably better suited to the sprinting trips.”
Ridden for the first time by Williams, the jockey was suitably impressive by the vicoty of the filly.
“I like this horse, said Williams. “She was presented to me a really nice way by the Hayes boys.”
“She's going really well in this first preparation. In addition to some gear change today, she'll be better for that experience as well.
“Blake Shin worked it on her on Monday morning and just said Craig, you can't get beat on it. So I'm glad I didn't disappoint Blake Shin anyway.
“Such a great team effort by everyone, and she's a nice filly with a nice future.”
“The way she's doing it now, as a two-year-old, she's an exciting three-year-old, and she's got scope for longer distance as well, so they've got plenty of options.”
From her three starts to date, the filly has earned connections $137,500, not a bad return on the $80,000 she cost Lindsay Park Racing when secured from the Baramul Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses In Training Sale.
Bred by Gerry Harvey, Stars Of Dom is the seventh winner from ten to the races out of the G1 placed Encosta de Lago mare Rose Of Sharon, herself a three-quarter-sister to the dam of G3 winner Marroni and a half sister to dual G1 winner Lotteria.
The sire of 12 stakes performers to date, the Vinery Stud based, G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance will stand at a fee of $22,000 (inc. GST) in the spring.
