Sunlight's Justify Colt Dawn Service Wins by Daylight at Hawkesbury

Mark Smith - Thursday August 1

After being the bit player in a Justify (USA) trifecta at Randwick-Kensington on July 17, the blue-blooded colt Dawn Service announced himself as a player in the spring with a 4-length romp in the Happy Horses' Birthday Maiden Hcp (1300m) at Hawkesbury on Thursday.

Dawn Service breaks his maiden (image Bradley Photographers)

Ridden by Tim Clark for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Dawn Service jumped a length in front, and that's the closest they came to him. Kicking clear on straightening, the son of Justify defeated the Pierata colt, Imposing Pier by four lengths, with the Hellbent filly Sugarfire the same distance back in third.

Owned in a partnership that includes the industry heavy hitters Coolmore, Yulong and Go Bloodstock, in whose colours he runs, Dawn Service was a $1,400,000 buy for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He is the first foal of the Champion 3YO Filly in Australia in 2018-19, Sunlight.

Sunlight won eleven of her 24 starts, highlighted by Group 1 wins in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, Newmarket Hcp, and MVRC William Reid Stakes. She banked over $6 million and put Zoustar on the map.

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Aquis/McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Blue Sky Bloodstock purchased Sunlight as a yearling from the Widden Stud draft for $300,000. When offered by Widden Stud at the 2020 National Broodmare Sale, Sunlight was sold to Tom Magnier for $4,200,000.

Dawn Service a $1,400,000 Magic Millions yearling

Coolmore clawed back a further $1,400,000 when Paul Moroney Bloodstock / C Bruggeman had the final say on Sunlight's Wootton Bassett colt from the Coolmore draft at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

There are plenty of blue skies ahead as Sunlight has a weanling filly by Home Affairs and is back in foal to Justify (USA), who sadly will be missing from the Coolmore roster in the forthcoming breeding season.

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Race Result - Happy Horses' Birthday Mdn Hcp 1300m

Hawkesbury Track: Soft(5) Time: 1:15.73
1
Dawn Service
- 3c Justify (USA) x Sunlight (AUS) (Zoustar (AUS))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 57
2
4
Imposing Pier
- 3c Pierata (AUS) x Breannon (AUS) (Charge Forward (AUS))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald Rdr: C Schofield 56.5
3
8
Sugarfire
- 3f Hellbent (AUS) x Queen Of Kandy (AUS) (Magic Albert (AUS))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald Rdr: A B Collett 55
4
10.9
Zoomorphic
- 4g Zoustar (AUS) x Spright (AUS) (Hinchinbrook (AUS))
Tnr: G Ryan & S Alexiou Rdr: Tom Sherry 58
5
12.5
Millie De Lune
- 3f Puissance De Lune (IRE) x Millsee (AUS) (Street Sense (USA))
Tnr: Matthew Smith Rdr: J Ford 55
6
13.6
Finding Elle
- 4m Shooting To Win (AUS) x Donostia Star (AUS) (Denman (AUS))
Tnr: John Higgins Rdr: William Stanley 55
7
20.4
Rathunas
- 4g Capitalist (AUS) x Denpurr (AUS) (Denman (AUS))
Tnr: G D Hickman Rdr: Molly Bourke 56
8
20.9
Royal Defense
- 3c National Defense (GB) x Royal Duty (AUS) (Bel Esprit (AUS))
Tnr: Kevin May Rdr: Jean Van Overmeire 55.5
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