Shadwell’s Epaulette filly Aryaaf kicks off Cup day with Ottawa Stakes win
Aryaaf was erratic and almost threw the race away before jockey Luke Nolen straightened her up and she lengthened nicely to land the $200,000 juvenile fillies’ race
Hayes believes there is plenty of improvement to come from the filly who was having her first start yesterday.
“She is physically an unimpressive type and hasn’t quite come out in her coat,” Hayes said.
“But I know she runs 1200 because she did today, she went sideways and in and out.
“Luke (Nolen) did a great job to straighten up and win.”
Hayes will relinquish control of Lindsay Park next year when he returns to Hong Kong to train, leaving nephew Tom Dabernig and son Ben in charge of the Australian operation.
Yesterday’s win was also significant for Hayes, being his 54th Melbourne Cup carnival victory as a trainer, elevating him to fourth on the all-time list behind Bart Cummings, his father Colin Hayes and Lee Freedman.
He was relieved to train a winner early on the card.
“I thought, gee it’s going to be hard to train a winner when she went to the front like the winner and ducked out,” he said.
“She had a lot on them but I don’t know whether she’s very good or they’re very bad but she beat them well.”
Nolen said the wayward Aryaaf ($9) ‘got lost’ down the Flemington straight course but was still superior to her rivals, winning by by one and three-quarter lengths over the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Muntaseera (I Am Invincible) ($5). The runner-up’s stablemate Marchena (Deep Field) ($8) was another two and three-quarter lengths away in third
“It’s a big, wide open space here at Flemington and under pressure, an inexperienced horse, you can excuse them for being a bit wayward,” Nolen said. “But she possesses terrific ability.”
Aryaaf (Epaulette – Bulbula by Shamardal) earned $120,000 for her Group 3 victory and added considerably more to her residual value.
The filly is the first winner for the MRC Merson Cooper Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Bulbula, herself a half-sister to Epaulette (Commands) Group 3 winner Khulaasa who was also raced by Shadwell and trained by Lindsay Park.
Aryaaf’s second dam, Taameer (General Nediym), was also a stakes winner who has produced four winners including the two stakes winners mentioned. Bulbula, who remains under the ownership of Shadwell, has a yearling filly by Sebring (More Than Ready) and a colt by Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) who was born on October 13 this year.
Epaulette, who stands for $27,500 (inc GST) at Darley, is the sire of 12 stakes winners.
Related links
Ottawa Stakes race replay
https://www.racing.com/form/2019-11-05/flemington/race/1/results