Star Fastnet Filly Beats the Colts

Tara Madgwick - Saturday September 16
A brilliant winner of the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes at two, powerhouse Fastnet Rock filly Catchy is no stranger to beating up on the colts and she did it again at Flemington on Saturday when surging clear to win the Group II VRC Danehill Stakes.

The 1200 metre sprint featured a number of aspirational colts that were all put in their place by the glamour filly.



Trained by the Hayes Dabernig partnership and ridden by Regan Bayliss, Catchy (Image Grant Courtney) was a fitter filly following her narrow first up defeat last month and charged home from back in the field out wide to score a three-quarter length win over previously unbeaten Snitzel colt Jukebox.

That pair managed to avoid the fallout from a nasty fall by Limestone, who came down heavily in the final furlong when making ground between runners.

Catchy will now look to step up in distance as she races towards another battle with the colts in the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas on October 14.

"If you go back and watch the Blue Diamond you see how powerful she was in the last 400 metres and she did that against the boys again today," David Hayes said.

"At the moment she's probably favoured to take on the boys in the $2 million Guineas.

"She'll run against the fillies next start and if she's as dominant again we'll take on the boys in the Guineas.

"The Guineas is worth four times as much as the Thousand Guineas and twice as much fun."

Catchy as a yearlingA $220,000 Inglis Australian Easter purchase from the Coolmore draft for Robert Crabtree's Dorrington Farm, Catchy has now five of seven starts earning over $1.2 million in prizemoney.

Foaled and raised at Coolmore for her breeder Joy Jenkins, Catchy is the fourth winner from four foals to race from Group II winner Cats Whisker, a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (USA).

Coolmore sold the full sister to Catchy at Magic Millions this year for $700,000 to Alan Bell Racing and Cats Whisker has a yearling colt by Fastnet Rock.

She was covered last year for the first time by a stallion other than Fastnet Rock visiting Golden Slipper winner Pierro.

Catchy was the second Group winner for champion sire Fastnet Rock on Saturday following on from an earlier win for talented stallion Comin' Through, read about him here.



Advertisment
More Reading...
Tassort Filly Wins Listed Lonhro Plate on Debut
Tassort filly Agrarian Girl has shown plenty of potential in two recent trial wins and she took it through to race day to post a debut win in the Listed ATC Lonhro Plate (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday.
More G1 Success for Fastnet Rock’s Avantage
A Champion 2YO that won the Karaka Million in 2018, quality Fastnet Rock mare Avantage again showed her class at Trentham on Saturday when scoring a determined victory in the Group I JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m) defeating Enzo’s Lad, who had won the previous two editions of the prestigious sprint.
Nicks That Click – Looks Like This One Has Worked Again
This nick involving two champion sires is well proven and documented with a two year-old winner last Saturday appearing as the latest example.
Ocean Park Filly Wins G2 Fillies Classic for Yulong
Progressive filly Ohope Wins completed the perfect dress rehearsal for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) in a fortnight when she stormed home out wide from last on the corner to take out the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2100m) at Te Rapa.
Back to Back G1 Wins for Almanzor Sprinter First Five
Te Rapa trainer David Greene is riding the crest of a wave after he doubled his Group One tally when First Five took out the BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at his home track on Saturday.
New SW Savabeel - Witz End Wins Listed Hazlett Stakes
Former northern galloper Witz End made his presence felt for new trainer Terri Rae when he scored the second win from just four starts from Rae’s Canterbury base when taking out the Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Hazlett Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Saturday.
Godolphin Make Their Move
The first two days at Magic Millions were without a Godolphin purchase, but they moved swiftly in the first hour of trade on Friday to secure two fillies by Fastnet Rock and Snitzel for $600,000 each.
Milestone for Fastnet Rock
Champion sire Fastnet Rock clocked up his 100th Graded stakes-winner at the weekend in the US when five year-old entire Desert Stone captured the Group II San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita.
Magnus Filly Streisand On Song In G2 Blue Diamond Prelude
Already stakes placed on two prior occasions, Clinton McDonald’s 2yo filly Streisand (Magnus) improved from her slightly unlucky fifth in the G3 MRC Blue Diamond Preview (F) (1000m) last time out to win the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (F) (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Observer Continues His Winning Ways – G1 Australian Guineas Next
Ending his 3yo spring campaign with success in the G1 VRC Derby (2500m) off the back of his G2 MVRC Vase (2040m) win, Ciaron Maher’s Ghaiyyath colt Observer resumed with another impressive performance, taking out the G2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.