breednet.com.au

Not A Single Doubt's Qafila Captures Armanasco Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday February 23

Winner of the Listed Debutant Stakes at Caulfield when making her career debut in October 2017, Shadwell Stud's Not A Single Doubt filly Qafila took a further 12 starts and almost a year and a half to add a second, which came in Saturday's Group II Angus Armanasco Stakes at Caulfield.

The 3yo filly was competitive at the highest level last spring, finishing second to Aristia in the Group II Wakeful Stakes over 2000m at Flemington before closing out the campaign with a fifth in the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m).

Advertisement


Co-trainer David Hayes said only bad luck had stopped her winning several more.

"She's a genuine 2000-metre horse who was unlucky in the Wakeful Stakes on Derby Day at Flemington last year and probably should have won," Hayes told AAP.

"It's great for her to get the Group win today. She's a Listed winner and now a Group winner and she might go for some really good races this autumn like the (Group 1) Vinery in Sydney."

Given plenty of time to settle by Mark Zahra, Qafila, stormed home in the closing stages to defeat the favourite Angelic Angelic Ruler (Universal Prince) by a half-length with a long neck back to Zoubo (Zoustar) in third. (image Grant Courtney)

Purchased by Shadwell Australasia for $450,000 out of the Attunga Stud draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Qafila is the second foal of the imported Tapit mare Zighy Bay (USA) who is a three-quarter-sister to Grade III winner and multiple Grade II-placed Sacristy (Pulpit).

Zighy Bay ( USA has an unraced Zosustar colt named The Ladies Man who was a $220,000 Magic Millions purchase for Spicer T'Breds/Darren Weir Racing.

After missing to I Am Invincible in 2016, Zighy Bay (USA) foaled a So You Think filly last spring before being bred back to I Am Invincible.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Defeat Not an Option
Cambridge visitor Not An Option showed he will be a force to be reckoned with in the juvenile features this season when he produced a powerful finishing burst to take out the Group II Platinum Homes Taranaki Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham.
More Stakes Success for Go Bloodstock’s Thalassophile
Sir Owen Glenn and his Go Bloodstock has had some great results this year with his fillies that include Golden Slipper winner Lady of Camelot, but it was the turn of one of the older girls on Saturday with five year-old Not a Single Doubt mare Thalassophile returning to top form with a classy win in the $160,000 Listed  Silk Stocking (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast.
Jimmysstar all class in Orr Stakes triumph
Brilliant New Zealand-bred gelding Jimmysstar lifted his Group One tally to three with another scintillating performance in Saturday’s A$1 million CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, in which progeny of Little Avondale Stud stallion Per Incanto finished first and third.
New SW Satono Aladdin - Bozo Wins G3 New Zealand Cup
Respected Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers captured his fourth Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton on Saturday courtesy of a supreme staying performance by Bozo.
Not A Single Doubts Gotta Kiss Another Proven Winner
Aided by a rails hugging ride by Stephanie Thornton, Proven Thoroughbreds two-year-old filly Gotta Kiss fought off a stubborn Lady Banff in Saturday’s $125,000 Basil Nolan Junior Two-Year-Old (1000m) at Eagle Farm and booked her ticket to the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.
$10,000 Bargain Buy Turns G2 Sandown Guineas into a Procession
A $10,000 Inglis Digital bargain buy that started her racing career with wins at Rockhampton and Townsville, three year-old filly Sheza Alibi came to the attention of racegoers at Flemington on Derby Day and put the seal on her meteoric rise with a scintillating win in the $400,000 Group II Sandown Guineas at Caulfield don Saturday.
Consecutive Stakes Victories For Cafe Millenium
While it may have taken until he turned 5yo to record his first stakes victory, it only took until his very next start to record his second as the Ben, Will and JD Hayes trained Cafe Millenium added Saturday’s Listed VRC Tontonan Stakes (1400m) to his last start Listed SAJC Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) win.
Karaka Graduate Romanoff Wins G1 NZ 2000 Guineas
The only thing certain as horses slogged their way to the winning post in Saturday’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) was that Matamata trainer Pam Gerard would produce the quinella in the Riccarton classic.
Star Sprinter Jokers Grin Plays Winning Hand
On a big, boisterous opening day of The Pinnacles carnival at a packed out Ascot racecourse, WA’s reigning Horse Of The Year Jokers Grin was definitely the headline act.
Not a Single Doubt Mare Chasing G1 Glory
Australian raider Winter Bride was the bridesmaid to Julius in the Group I Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day and trainers Toby and Trent Edmonds are hoping she can go one better at Trentham on Saturday.