With the first two across the line highlighting their claims for an Everest slot, Matthew Smith’s Headwall (Dream Ahead) came with a well-timed run in the $1m Group 3 ATC Concorde Stakes (1000m) to deny the unlucky Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel).
Having not finished outside the top four in his last eight starts including placed performances in the Group 1 VRC Newmarket Handicap and the Group 1 ATC TJ Smith, Headwall was last seen when finishing a narrow second in the $5m Quokka at Ascot (Perth) in April.
With two trials under his belt including a second to Golden Slipper winner and Champion 2YO Marhoona (Snitzel), Headwall was out to capitalise on his outstanding record not only first up, but also at the track and distance.
With last year’s Group 1 Moir Stakes winner Mornington Glory (Shalaa) going to the lead, second favourite Headwall settled with just three behind him, including the well-fancied, dual Group 1 winner Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto), who has already secured himself an Everest slot.
As Mornington Glory took the field into the home straight, Zac Lloyd had took Headwall to the outside to make his run, while the Chris Waller trained Lady Shenandoah was stuck behind a wall of horses with James McDonald anxiously searching for a gap.
The Annabel and Rob Archibald trained Ostraka (Pariah) hit the lead at the 100m mark before Headwall came on his outside to take the lead.
Finally securing a gap and flashing late, Lady Shenandoah failed by a narrow head margin to reel in Headwall, but her effort was outstanding, with many feeling she should’ve won with a clear run.
With Ostraka holding on for third, one to watch next time out was the Clayton Douglas trained 5yo mare Tiger Shark (Rich Enuff) who was last all the way before charging into fourth, a length and a half from the winner at 50/1 – it’s worth noting her trainer does know what it takes to win an Everest with Giga Kick winning in 2022 before finishing a narrow second in 2024.
Recording his second Group victory, Headwall’s win took his overall record to seven wins and nine placed efforts from 18 starts with earnings of $2,179,950.
Trainer Matthew Smith was suitably impressed with the win and now hopes to secure an Everest slot.
“Hopefully someone will give us a call,” Smith said.
“You never know. It's a hard race to get into and everybody wants to be in there. It's about timing and the timing is good for this horse.
“We wanted to get him into the clear and just let him do his thing today and Zac (Lloyd) got him out at the right time. It was a good effort and there is plenty of improvement to come from him.
“Everything has been good about the prep. We've had a really trouble-free run into today's race and I just wanted to see him come out and do that.”
Jockey Zac Lloyd feels Headwall has come back a lot stronger this time in.
“These horses, they make you ride different,” said Lloyd.
“He gave me the world of confidence the way he'd been trialling. He's a 1000m specialist but he's just come back so much bigger, so much stronger. He can sustain his gallop for 300m now instead of 200m and that's going to be very vital for him in a couple of weeks time.”
“When I straightened up and I could see Lady Shenandoah do bottled to the inside and I could see everything in front of me. I thought they're no chance. She [Lady Shenandoah] must have done very well to get near me because I felt like I quickened so well.
“He's a very cruisy horse to ride. He travels so good into the straight and he just fills you with confidence. He's just a very good horse.”
Bred by Mr R Young, J & A Adam, B & N der Sarkissian, J Marsden, Headwall is the best of three winners from as many to race from the Not A Single Doubt mare Positive Quest, herself a daughter of the stakes-placed Quest For Fame (GB) mare Quest for Success, a half-sister to the Listed AJC Hall Mark Stakes winner Wasted Emotions.
Positive Quest has an unraced 3yo filly by Flying Artie named Flying Sarki, an unraced 2yo colt by North Pacific named North Counsel, followed by a filly Artorius and is due to foal this season to North Pacific once again.
Headwall is one of 36 stakes-winners sired by the Emirates Park’s former shuttle stallion Dream Ahead (Diktat) who now stands at Bearstone Stud in the United Kingdom after shuttling to Australia for seven seasons.
