A quality field of three-year-olds for the MSC Signs Hcp (1200) produced a decisive winner to open Manikato Stakes night at Moonee Valley.
Stoli Bolli draws clear (image Grant Courtney)
Among the early leaders, Stoli Bolli was eased back to fifth by Blake Shinn as Dublin Down and Stay Focused led the field through solid sectionals. Tracking into the race following Gallant Son, the race-fit son of Deep Field, levelled up with the Written Tycoon colt at the 100m, going straight on by to win by two lengths.
The Lonhro filly Thames was two and three-quarter lengths back in third.
Trained by Ben, Will, and JD Hayes, Stoli Bolli made a winning debut at Geelong on August 9. Second to the promising Daggers at Moonee Valley, Stoli Bolli finished a troubled fourth behind Angel Capital in the Mckenzie Stakes (LR) at Moonee Valley at his most recent start.
Bred by Kingstar Farm, Stoli Bolli was withdrawn from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale before failing to make his $70,000 reserve at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale.
"It's a good story behind this horse," Ben Hayes revealed.
"We trained the mare, so we went out and looked at him in the paddock. He didn't go through (at the gold Cost), and then Matty (Sandblom) sent it our way (when failing to sell at the National Sale). We're very thankful because he's got a lot of ability and it was great to get a nice win."
"It was a great ride by Blake. They went really hard there through the middle stages, and he actually looked like he dropped the bit, but he picked up and cornered well. He's raced a couple of times here, and getting this result is just huge, so it's really cool.
"It's very difficult to do it all in a first prep, and we put the crossover (noseband) on today, and I think he raced a bit better with that, and it's just a great result all round and the whole team's happy."
“He's beaten a very high-class field here, so we'll see how he pulls up, but he could be racing in some nicer races for sure."
Stoli Bolli failed to make his $70,000 reserve at the National Yearling Sale
Stoli Bolli is the first foal of the Spirit Of Boom mare Champagne Boom, the Listed MRC Debutant Stakes winner and third in the Group III VRC Ottawa Stakes.
A $90,000 purchase for Lindsay Park from the Eureka Stud draft at the 2018 March Yearling Sale, Champagne Boom was bought by Kingstar Farm for $85,000 at the 2020 National Broodmare Sale.
From the revered family nurtured by Eureka Stud featuring Just Now, Telltina, Shiva’s Revenge and Scenic Warrior, Champagne Boom has a 2-year-old North Pacific filly who was a $90,000 buy for Munce Racing/Arthur Hoyeau from the Kingstar Farm draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
After foaling a Capitalist colt last spring, Champagne Boom visited In The Congo.
