The outstanding young galloper hit the front at the top of the straight and raced clear for a barnstorming three and a half length success.
A $450,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for Shadwell Stud, Qafila was able to notch a deserved big race success after an unlucky run in last Saturday’s Australasian Oaks at the same track over 2000 metres.
Qafila has raced in stakes races in all but one of her career starts after kick starting her racing life with an impressive win in the listed Debutant Stakes at Caulfield as an early two-year-old.
The filly raced in a Blue Diamond Stakes and Golden Slipper and before today’s Derby triumph had also been successful in the Group Two Angus Armanasco Stakes.
The win provided the powerful Lindsay Park training team of David Hayes, son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig with another big race success. It was the second Group One for jockey Cory Parish after his success in a Caulfield Cup aboard Perth Yearling Sale graduate Boom Time.
“She deserves this Group One,” co-trainer Ben Hayes said. “She’s been competing at this high level for her whole career and it’s fantastic to get the win for Shadwell.”
“They’re our biggest supporter so to get a Group One for Shadwell is a huge thrill for me – and I’m so thrilled for (Qafila), it makes her very valuable now.”
“She’s pulled up out of this race so fantastic – she’s hardly had a blow. She’s done such a huge job.”
“Well done to Cory – that’s his second Group One. He rode her just like Boom Time when he won the Caulfield Cup – it was amazing.”
Parish said the win would help those who doubted his ability in the saddle, saying his Caulfield Cup win was no fluke.
“She’s such a strong horse,” an emotional Parish said. “I travelled pretty close, but I was travelling really well and when I went around Stephen Baster I thought, you’ve gone there too soon, but she just pulled herself there.”
“I just had to keep her where she was happy. We got to the front and I drew the stick on her and she just kept finding.”
“She did it easy to the line to be honest,” Parish added.
Qafila, a daughter of Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate Not a Single Doubt, was bred by Woodpark Stud and is the first Australian Group One winner bred from their Mittagong property.
The filly was sold at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Attunga Stud, as agent for Woodpark, and she caught the eye of Shadwell’s Angus Gold who went to $450,000 to secure her.
The 10th individual Group One winner for Arrowfield Stud’s superstar sire Not a Single Doubt, Qafila is the first runner for the good looking grey Tapit mare Zighy Bay.
Zighy Bay was placed in France and is a three quarter sister to American group winner Sacristy and half sister to the Japanese group winner Mozu Superflare.
International Group One winners in her pedigree include Jersey Girl, Purge and Jersey Town while it’s also the family of Australian based stakes winning sire St. Petersburg.
Qafila capped what was a resounding day for graduates of Magic Millions sales around Australia.
She Shao Fly (Epaulette-Shao Shao) started the streak when she scored a valuable win in the Group Three SAJC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Morphettville for trainer Tony McEvoy.
The filly was a $67,500 Adelaide Yearling Sale buy for Bennett Racing and McEvoy Mitchell Racing from Ambergate Farm. She Shao Fly’s dam is catalogued for the upcoming National Broodmare Sale by Evergreen Stud Farm.
Another Adelaide Yearling Sale buy Vega One (Lope de Vega-One Funny Honey) was an impressive stakes winner when he raced away from his rivals in the listed Queensland Day Plate at Doomben.
The Tony Gollan trained three-year-old was a $75,000 buy from Stockwell Thoroughbreds in 2017.
The next race at Doomben, the Group Two Champagne Classic for juveniles, saw an impressive return from Magic Millions 2YO Classic runner-up Dubious (Not a Single Doubt-Suspicieuse).
Raced entirely by ladies, Dubious was a $350,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy from Kitchwin Hills who will present his Foxwedge half brother at the upcoming National Weanling Sale.
Ready to Prophet (Smart Missile-Ready to Live), a $40,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for Dynamic Syndications from Torryburn Stud in 2017, scored a valuable win for her large lady ownership group when she scored a strong fresh win in the listed Denise’s Joy at Scone.
The win was the second in six starts for the filly, but importantly her first at black type level.
It was a quick fire stakes double for Smart Missile when his youngster Missile Mantra (ex Wecansay Mak) extended her unbeaten run to two with an impressive win in the listed Vale Redoute’s Choice Stakes at Caulfield.
It was a fitting result for the Snowden trained two-year-old considering she was a $30,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy last year for Triple Crown Syndications from Arrowfield Stud, the long time home of the champion sire who the race was run in honour of.
Winner: Qafila
Breeding: Not a Single Doubt-Zighy Bay (Tapit)
Race: SAJC South Australian Derby G1 (2500m)
Sold for: $450,000
Sale: 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Attunga Stud (As Agent)
Buyer: Shadwell Australasia
Earnings: $697,170
Owner(s): Shadwell Stud Australasia Ltd Syndicate (Mgr: GM Kelly)
Trainer(s): David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig (Morphettville)
