Team Hawkes on a roll with Exceedance youngsters
Michael Hawkes is an unabashed fan of first season sire Exceedance, who has provided the stable with its second Sydney Saturday metropolitan two-year-old winner in the space of a month.
Brave One ($8) showed his class to get the better of Mayfair ($2.30 betting fav) by three-quarters of a length in Saturday’s Petaluma Handicap (1100m) at Randwick, three weeks after Swiftfalcon accounted for his rivals impressively at Rosehill.
Both are sons of Hawkes Racing’s 2019 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance and Michael Hawkes believes it is a portent of things to come from the young Vinery Stud stallion.
“Anyone that has been listening to me, I just can’t get enough of them,” Hawkes said of the progeny of Exceedance.
“I do rate them very well and this bloke, he’s definitely up there with them.
“I have been loving them since we bought them and they got in the stable.
“We have eleven or twelve of them. I spoke to (Vinery Stud’s) Peter Orton yesterday and said, ‘go and find me some more’.”
Hawkes reported Brave One had shown natural ability from the outset but had been slow to mature and wasn’t ready to compete in the better autumn races.
They were content to give him the time he needed and refocus on getting a juvenile win on the board before season’s end.
That box was ticked on Saturday in a race Hawkes believed had depth through Gai Waterhouse and Adrian-Bott trained runner-up Mayfair and third placegetter Winning Proposal, who was fourth in the Inglis Millennium and a last-start Warwick Farm winner.
“This is the middle of winter and that was a class field as Gai’s horse goes well and there was a couple of wet trackers in the race,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter where you start, he is a two-year-old winner now and that was the aim.
“I’ve got to give Zac (Lloyd) credit, I thought it was a brilliant ride. He made use of the favourite (Mayfair) and he had a lot of horse underneath him.”
Adrian Bott felt Mayfair didn’t relish the heavy 9 track and did well to tough it out and hold second.
“I’m not sure if the heavy track conditions were to his liking but he’s done a good job, he stuck on well,” Bott said.
Team Hawkes is enjoying a successful backend of the season with their two-year-olds with Tassort youngster Mawjood also scoring impressively at Warwick Farm on June 26.
More Racing News
Vein Girl impresses in rich Magic Millions The Debut win
Vein Girl has put herself in contention for next month’s $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a strong win on debut under lights at the Gold Coast’s first night meeting. The Chris and Corey Munce-trained Vein Girl was sent out the $3.50 favourite with betting sites in Friday night’s $250,000...
Pallaton races into 2025 Golden Slipper contention
Pallaton has stamped himself as a two-year-old colt to watch heading into 2025 with an impressive debut win at Randwick. Trained by Michael Freedman and ridden by Tommy Berry, Pallaton raced to a 2-3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Shinzo @ Coolmore Plate (1000m) and firmed to be among the early favourites in Golden Slipper...
Arriving Home set to target the Magic Millions Guineas 2025
Trainer Bjorn Baker would love to get lightly raced filly Arriving Home into the Magic Millions Guineas next month after the three-year-old remained unbeaten with a tough win at Randwick. Stepping up from a midweek city maiden win at Warwick Farm on debut earlier this month into Saturday’s Petaluma Handicap (1300m) – a...
The Kings horse Gilded Water wins at Randwick
Imported stayer Gilded Water has made it back-to-back victories in Australia and has given his owner, His Majesty King Charles III, a winner at Royal Randwick. The King’s racing manager John Warren was on track at Randwick on Saturday as the Ciaron Maher-trained Gilded Water raced to a convincing victory in the...
Goldman digs deep in the Pakenham Cup 2024
One time Melbourne Cup favourite, Goldman has notched up his fourth win in Australia, leading throughout to take the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) under Beau Mertens. Jumping an $8.50 chance, Goldman’s staying prowess was on show as he kicked back to deny Grand Pierro ($19) by a long head, with $3.30 betting site...
Here To Shock gives Lindsay Park quinella in The Supernova
Ben, Will & Jd Hayes had the numbers two and three seed to knock off race-favourite Nadal in Saturday’s $1 million The Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham and did just that, with Here To Shock, ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, edging stablemate Arkansaw Kid in a thrilling stable quinella. Here To Shock ($4.60) trailed a strong...
Kevin Daffy happy to wait with Oh Too Good ahead of VOBIS Gold Bullion
Trainer Kevin Daffy says there is still plenty of time to chase the big league with his lightly-raced mare Oh Too Good. A winner of four of her seven starts with three runner-up finishes as well, Oh Too Hard runs in the VOBIS Gold Bullion (1400m) at Pakenham on Saturday. Daffy was sounded...
Bedggood chases rich The Supernova prize
Two rising nine-year-olds, both resuming, will give Gavin Bedggood a potential shot at his biggest payday as a trainer. A former jockey, Bedggood has been plying his trade as a trainer since 2017 and during the recent Melbourne Spring Carnival prepared Mornington Glory to land his first Group 1 success. Just Folk and Windstorm, both...
Collett hoping for Dream Brisbane raid in BJ McLachlan Stakes and Magic Millions Falvelon
A pair of promising two-year-olds from the Ciaron Maher stable have lured top Sydney hoop Jason Collett to Queensland for back-to-back meetings this weekend. Collett is heading north to partner filly Life After Love in the $250,000 Magic Millions The Debut (1000m) at the Gold Coast on Friday night and her Maher-trained stablemate...
Theodore aims to keep strike-rate going in Christmas Cup at Murray Bridge
Trainer Stephen Theodore is looking to Divine Fire keeping his impressive strike-rate going when she shoots for a winning hat-trick on Saturday. After victories at Morphettville and Gawler, Divine Fire runs in the Christmas Cup (1600m) at Murray Bridge with Jacob Opperman in the saddle. Since returning to training ranks at the start of...