Prepared by the Hayes Dabernig training partnership at Lindsay Park, Khulaasa
has been second at her only two previous starts including a good performance to
beat all bar the colt Prairie Fire in a Listed race at Flemington last month.With that experience under her belt, Khulaasa was sent out favourite for this 1200 metre sprint against fillies.
Ridden by Damien Oliver, she proved the winner in a tight finish scoring a head win over Krone, who is by another first season sire in Eurozone.
"It was a very long last furlong (200m) and we certainly needed all of Ollie's strength," said David Hayes.
"I just don't think she's suited by the straight like I've seen her around the bend at home.
"In her trackwork, she works like her genuine top-class filly and now her record says she probably is being a Group winner but we've all seen her go much better at home than she has gone today."
Hayes said the Epaulette filly would now prepare for a trip to Sydney to tackle
the $600,000 Group II Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 14. The
stable went close to winning the Percy Sykes last year when Formality went down
narrowly to Shoals."She'll be beautifully placed there," Hayes said.
"She'll do a lot of training for Sydney and I think she's worth a crack at that."
A homebred for Shadwell that was foaled and raised at Yarraman Park, Khulaasa is a half-sister to stakes-winner Bulbula from the good producing General Nediym stakes-winner Taameer.
Taameer has a yearling colt by Wandjina and was covered last spring by Deep Field.
Khulaasa is the second stakes-winner for Epaulette, a dual Group I winning son of Commands and three-quarter brother to another of the Darley sires in Helmet.
