Darley's Epaulette is an exciting first season sire who recorded his Second Stakes Winner in Australia on Saturday when siring promising filly
KHULAASA to win the Group 3 VRC TBV Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Flemington.
KHULAASA
Prepared at Lindsay Park by the Hayes / Dabernig training partnership, Khulaasa had 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 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.
"In her trackwork, she works like her genuine top-class filly and now her record says she probably is being a Group winner."
Hayes said the Epaulette filly would now prepare for a trip to Sydney to tackle the $600,000 Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 14.
"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.
Khulaasa is the second stakes-winner for Epaulette joining Meryl who won the McLachlan S., LR.
He has also sired 5 Stakes Placed horses – Field Of Roses, McMunigal, Omaha Beach, River Bird, Sankari Royale.
EPAULETTE
Epaulette is a dual Group 1 winning son of Commands and the three-quarter brother to another of the Darley sires in Helmet.
Epaulette is the leading First Crop Sire by Total Stakes Horses (3) ahead of Spirit Of Boom (2), Zoustar (1), Sizzling (1), Eurozone (1), Albrecht (1) and Dundeel (1).
He is currently in 2nd position on Individual Stakes Wins (2) to Spirit Of Boom (4) and ahead of Zoustar and Eurozone (1).
Epaulette currently sits in 4th Position with Earnings of $350,090 (Zoustar / Spirit of Boom / Sizzling)
He is currently in 4th position on Individual Winners (3) to Spirit Of Boom (10) / Zoustar & Sizzling (4).
Being a son of Commands it is very impressive to see
EPAULETTE doing such a wonderful job as a sire of 2yo’s as most industry participants believe his progeny will come into their own as 3yo’s.
Dynamic Syndications purchased a fabulous filly by the EPAULETTE at the Inglis Classic Sale.
Our Filly - Epaulette x Fromelles
She is from Gr3 Winner FROMELLES (NZ) – Winner of 6 races from 1340m to 2200m including the Gr3 Rotorua Cup
FROMELLES is a daughter of Group 1 placed UNEARTHED – 2 wins 1400m, 1600m and 3d NZ One Thousand Guineas Gr1 1600m.
Our Filly directly descends from Gr1 Winner REGAL EXCEPTION – she won the Irish Oaks and ran 2nd in the English Oaks and 4th in the Gr1 Arc de Triomphe.
Bred to be a serious Classics contender with looks to match this high quality female family this filly is very exciting.