Devil Night (AUS)
2 c Extreme Choice – Mischief Night by Shamardal
O: Yulong Investments
B: Kingstar Farm
T: Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes
S: 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale V: Kingstar Farm P: Highway Farm, $1,400,000
W: Blue Diamond Stakes, Group 1, 1200m, February 22, Caulfield
$1.4 million colt Devil Night (Extreme Choice) justified his extraordinary sales ring price when the son of Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) secured a fantastic maiden win in the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday, cementing himself as one of the most valuable juveniles in the country.
Drawing barrier two under Michael Dee, Devil Night jumped brilliantly and settled behind Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s The Playwright (Written By). With a two-length gap to third, Dee sent Devil Night to the front at the 300 metres, he led by a length at the 100 metres, and under hard riding had just enough in reserve to hold out the flying Godolphin homebred Tentyris (Street Boss) and score by 0.1 lengths. In an all-colts trifecta, the Team Hayes-trained Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon) gave Yulong first and third, while fillies The Playwright and Eden Rose (Exceedance) took fourth and fifth.
Devil Night not only won the Blue Diamond as a maiden but became just the fourth horse to win it at start number two, emulating Redoute’s Choice (Danehill). He also became the fifth Group 1 winner for his Newgate Farm-based sire Extreme Choice, who has also produced a Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) and Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner.
Bred by Kingstar Farm, Devil Night is out of the unraced mare Mischief Night (Shamardal) making him a half-brother to dual Group 3 winner Our Playboy (Sebring). Mischief Night herself is out of Group 3 scorer November Flight (Flying Spur), who is also the dam of Group 1 winner Pierata (Pierro) and Ashokan (More Than Ready), winner of the 2012 Skyline Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
Purchased by Highway Farm at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Devil Night was the most expensive runner in Saturday’s 15-strong field, costing almost three times as much as the next highest.