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Hayasugi wins G1 Blue Diamond as Inglis graduates win 8 Stakes races nation-wide

24th Feb 2024

A $10,000 Inglis Digital broodmare sent to a first season stallion on a $10,000 service fee produced a $47,500 Australian Weanling Sale graduate who today won the G1 $2m Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

Hayasugi (Royal Meeting) – the filly of a lifetime – made a clean sweep of the Blue Diamond Series, winning both the Preview and Prelude in the lead-up before today claiming the grand final.

Fairhill Farm’s Mike O’Donnell purchased the broodmare China Road off the Inglis Digital platform back in 2017 and sent her to young stallion Royal Meeting, who now stands at Leneva Park in Victoria.

James Bester, Shane McGrath and Cara Mok teamed up to buy the filly – who races as Hayasugi – from O’Donnell’s draft as a weanling for just $47,500 and sent her to Clinton McDonald to train and they now have themselves the filly of a generation.

Today’s win was Hayasugi’s third from five starts – she also ran second on debut in the Inglis Banner – and took her career earnings to more than $1.6m.

As is her customary racing style, Hayasugi (pictured) settled in the second half of the field today before unleashing a devastating turn of speed to come home over the top of her rivals, which included Inglis Premier Sale graduate Kuroyanagi (Written Tycoon) who finished a close-up third.

Hayasugi becomes the 91^st individual G1-winning Inglis graduate since 2018.

“This filly just doesn’t know when to lie down,’’ an elated Bester said post-race.

“You watch her races and there she is somewhere in the middle or further back, she always has to angle out and sweep down the outside but she just manages to do it. She manages to get there every time, it was a thrilling watch again.

“The triple – Prelude, Preview and Blue Diamond – is quite a rare achievement but it’s just wonderful that a filly you can buy for $47,500 at an Inglis weanling sale can come out and make the dream come true for everybody involved.’’

Shane McGrath, who was trackside at Caulfield to witness today’s win, added: “What a beauty, I can’t believe it, she’s just such a bloody good filly.

“Full credit to Clinton, he’s done a remarkable job with her from day dot and to get her to the races today as good as she was and for her to do what she did, again, it’s what dreams are made of, it really is.’’

There are five progeny of Royal Meeting being offered at next weekend’s Premier Yearling Sale at Oaklands.

To view the Premier catalogue CLICK HERE.

Hayasugi’s victory was one of eight Stakes races won by Inglis graduates on a stunning Saturday.

She was also one of 7 individual 2YO winning Inglis graduates in the last 48 hours.

Earlier on the Caulfield card, untapped 3YO Raikoke (Written Tycoon) made it two wins from as many starts with a dominant front-running victory in the G3 Zeditave Stakes.

Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr purchased Raikoke for $275,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, where he was offered in the draft of his breeder Rushton Park.

Raikoke, who became the first Stakes winner to carry the Harbour Racing silks, defeated Brave Mead in an Inglis graduates Stakes quinella.

At Rosehill explosive 2YO Straight Charge (Written By) surged into Golden Slipper calculations with a strong first-up victory in the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Straight Charge went straight to the front for jockey Tim Clark and never looked in danger, easing down late for a comfortable victory.

The Scott Robertson-bred colt is a $160,000 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale purchase for Paul Moroney and Alan Fu’s Pegasus Bloodstock, from the Twin Hills draft.

“Scott asked if we’d sell him at the Inglis weanling sale for him and when the horse arrived at the farm and got off the float I said ‘wow, look at this horse, what a beauty’ and he sold accordingly,’’ Twin Hills’ Olly Tait said.

“He was a beautiful horse back then even, great attitude, handled the sale so well and I’m so thrilled for Scott.’’

Such was the strength of the win, Straight Charge firmed from $21 into $9 with Ladbrokes for the G1 Golden Slipper, to be run at Rosehill on March 23.

Twin Hills will present a draft of 28 yearlings at the Premier Sale, which runs from March 3-5, while the sale also contains 6 yearlings by Widden’s exciting young sire, Written By.

Exciting colt Celestial Legend (Dundeel) scored an impressive win in the G2 Hobartville Stakes, to stamp himself a leading contender for the G1 Randwick Guineas in 2 weeks.

Raced by Legend Racing’s Mr Bon Ho – who was at Rosehill to watch today’s victory – Celestial Legend is building an imposing record and has G1 goals in sight.

Mr Ho - who described the win as "very exciting'' - and Avenue Bloodstock teamed up to buy the Les Bridge-trained Celestial Legend for $220,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale, where he was offered by his breeder Arrowfield Stud.

The 3YO colt Celestial Legend streaked away in the closing stages to win by an ever-widening 1.9 lengths, leading home an Inglis graduates first four, defeating Encap, Les Vampires and Fukubana.

Arrowfield will offer a half brother to Celestial Legend by Maurice as Lot 260 at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

And mighty mare Zougotcha (Zoustar) showed she was in for a big autumn preparation with a powerful first-up win in the G2 Millie Fox Stakes.

Bred by Widden Stud and Robert Anderson’s RMA Bloodstock, Zougotcha is already a G1 winner and showed she will be a force to be reckoned with in anything she contests this autumn, returning to her best today.

Trainer Chris Waller teamed up with Guy Mulcaster to buy Zougotcha out of the Widden draft at the Easter Yearling Sale for $500,000.

She has now won $1.3m in prizemoney and is one of the most valuable broodmare prospects in racing.

Widden Stud will offer a draft of 43 at next weekend’s Premier Yearling Sale including two of the 12 Zoustar progeny in the catalogue.

Zougotcha’s half brother by Written Tycoon will be offered through the Widden draft as Lot 24 of April’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Meanwhile at Morphettville today Inglis graduates made a clean sweep of the three Stakes races on the program with Herastar (Listed Cinderella Stakes), Yellowbrick Road (G3 Lord Reims Stakes) and Snapped (Listed City of Marion Stakes).

Herastar (Starspangledbanner) debuted in the best way possible, securing black type in the Cinderella Stakes.

The 2YO is a $40,000 buy for her trainer Dean Krongold at the Premier Yearling Sale, where she was offered by her breeder Gilgai Farm, who have a 12-strong draft at the upcoming Premier Yearling Sale.

Gilgai will offer a Toronado half brother to Herastar as Lot 63 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Yellowbrick Road (Golden Horn) made it back-to-back wins – and also a first at Group level – when winning the Lord Reims Stakes for trainer Patrick Kearney.

Kearney and connections bought Yellowbrick Road for just $8500 on Inglis Digital in June 2023 – he has raced seven times since for three wins and two minor placings for $150,000 in prizemoney.

And Snapped (Not A Single Doubt) for Anthony and Sam Freedman made it career win No.5 at start No.13 with victory in the City of Marion Stakes.

The 5YO mare, who races in the famed red and white silks of Jonathan Munz, is a $220,000 buy for Dean Hawthorne at the Easter Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Ron and Deb Gilbert’s Highgrove Stud.