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Dawn Approach Filly Too Good for Colts

Tara Madgwick - Saturday December 9
Darley's first season sire Dawn Approach (IRE) has a very good filly in the shape of unbeaten two year-old Gongs, who made it two from two when beating the colts at Rosehill on Saturday in the $100,000 open juvenile event.



Prepared by James Cummings, Gongs made everyone sit up and take notice when she bolted in to win at Canterbury on debut last month by five and a half lengths.

Gongs returnsSent out favourite for her second start taking on some very well bred colts in the 1100 metre dash, Gongs (images Steve Hart) again proved far superior.

She jumped fast for Kerrin McEvoy, but was asked to settle when two runners kicked up inside of her to challenge for the lead.

Gongs was eased to travel in third place facing the breeze, but hit the line hard down the running to win by a length and a half over fast finishing Orcein (Snitzel) with Charge (Zoustar) an encouraging third.

"They didn't hand it to her on a silver platter, she had to do some work and still got the job done," said Godolphin representative Darren Beadman.

"She has a real touch of brilliance and class about her. Dawn Approach has a pretty special filly.

"Mentally she's like a four year-old mare!"

With a tick over $109,000 in prizemoney, Goings is now well placed to look towards a Golden Slipper campaign in the autumn.

Bred and retained to race by Darley, Gongs is a half-sister to stakes-placed Mesa and is the fifth winner from five foals to race out of stakes-winning Bel Esprit mare Belcentra, who was bought by Darley at the 2009 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $500,000.

Darley on-sold her in 2016 at the Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale for $90,000 and she produced a filly by Denman for her new owners before dying later in the year.

That filly will be offered by Widden Stud as agent at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale as Lot 279 and with Gongs adding some excitement to the pedigree, she's going to be a filly well worth inspecting.

Dawn ApproachGongs has the honour of being the first Southern Hemisphere bred winner for Darley's four time Group I winning Galileo son Dawn Approach, the Champion 2YO Colt and 3YO Miler of his generation.

He is the sire of 13 winners from his first Northern Hemisphere crop of two year-olds that have been racing this year and include four stakes-place-getters.

Dawn Approach has seven entries for Magic Millions and eight for Inglis Classic.


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