Arrowfield Stud's Not A Single Doubt had a remarkable stakes double on Saturday with his top-class two-year-old son Dubious capturing the Group II Champagne Classic (1200m) at Doomben before his three-year-old daughter Qafila made light of the fact she was the only filly to contest the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville with a three and a half-length romp.
Winner of the Group III Breeders Plate at Randwick when making his career debut back in October last year (pictured), Dubious won at Eagle Farm in December before a second in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January then finishing unplaced in the Golden Slipper in March.
James McDonald took the ride on the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained colt on Saturday. He was bounced around in a roughhouse race before finding a narrow seam in the straight to defeat the dead-heaters Czarson (Stratum) and Strasbourg (I Am Invincible) by one and a quarter lengths.
"I was
willing to roll the dice and run Dubious in races like the BRC Sires (over
1400m) and the JJ Atkins (over 1600m) but I wanted to check with James
first," Maher told AAP.
"He is a big horse who likes racing. I know he has been racing for a while but we came for the winter because it is a long time between the autumn and the spring."
A $350,000 Magic Millions purchase for Aquis Farms /Ciaron Maher Bloodstock from the Kitchwin Hills draft, Dubious runs for an all women syndicate headed by Aquis Farm's Mrs Fung and runs in the Aquis colours.
He is the first foal of Suspicieuse (Fr), a stakes-placed half-sister by Elusive City to Group III winner Sediciosa.
Kitchwin Hills will consign Foxwedge colt out Suspicieuse (Fr) to the upcoming Magic Millions National Weanling sale and she is in foal to Russian Revolution.
The David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Qafila has proven to be a wonderfully versatile performer for Shadwell Stud.
Winner of the Listed Debutant Stakes at Caulfield when making her career debut in October 2017, the daughter of Not A Single Doubt took a further 12 starts and almost a year and a half to add a second, which came in the Group II Angus Armanasco Stakes at Caulfield (image Grant Courtney) .
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).
She struck two heavy tracks in Sydney before venturing back to South Australia where she finished a close-up fourth in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (200m) last week.
Providing jockey Cory Parish with his second win at the highest, Qafila was set to an all-out drive before the home turn and she was never in any real danger in the straight, strolling home by three and a half lengths from Savvy Oak (Savabeel) with the favourite Mr Quickie (Shamus Award) coming from near last to finish third.
"She deserves this Group 1. She has been competing at the highest level her whole career so it's fantastic to get this Group 1 for Shadwell," Ben Hayes said.
"Well done to Cory, he rode her just like (Caulfield Cup winner) Boom Time.
"He hit the front under a hold and I was worried that something was going to sweep but she put them away at the two hundred and could not have been any more dominant."
Purchased by Shadwell Australasia for $450,000 out of the Attunga Stud draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Qafila advances her record to 3 wins and 1 second from 17 starts with earnings of $697,170.
She 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 2yo 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) has a weanling So You Think filly and was bred back to I Am Invincible.
Qafila becomes the 10th Group 1 winner for Not A Single Doubt (image Mark Smith ) who will command a fee of $110,000 at Arrowfield Stud in 2019.
