News

Catchy new Blue Diamond favourite

7th Jan 2017

Australia’s leading thoroughbred auction house Inglis was the leading source of 2YO Stakes winners and 2YO Group 1 winners last season, and today’s results further strengthen the argument it will continue to dominate in 2017.

Today’s dominant Caulfield winner Catchy – who remains undefeated from two starts – was so impressive again, the TAB moved her into $8 outright favourite for next month’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.

And with fellow Inglis graduate, undefeated filly She Will Reign, an $8 outright Golden Slipper favourite, the current juvenile crop of Inglis graduates appear as strong as ever.

Catchy is a daughter of Fastnet Rock and Cats Whisker and is trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig of Lindsay Park.

She sold for $220,000 at least year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale to Robert Crabtree’s Dorrington Farm from the Coolmore draft.

Catchy came from the tail of the field on debut to win at Moonee Valley and again surged from off the speed today to win eased down by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

Catchy’s dam Cats Whisker has thrown six foals – all to Fastnet Rock.

Of the six, four have raced and all four have won.

Catchy is her dam’s new headline foal, and will next contest the Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield on February 11, according to her co-trainer Hayes.

“It was great to see her run well here at Caulfield and see the improvement in her,’’ he said.

“We’ll just give her a little freshen up and into the Prelude and hopefully the Blue Diamond Stakes.’’

Catchy will be out to be the second consecutive Inglis graduate to win the Blue Diamond, following Extreme Choice’s success in 2016.

It could then be onto the $3.5m Golden Slipper at Rosehill for Catchy, for which She Will Reign remains a dominant favourite.

She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain x Courgette), who has won her two career starts by a combined 12.3 lengths, returned to her trainer Gary Portelli’s stables last week following a short break after her dominant Inglis Nursery victory on December 17.