Leebaz put a disappointing Sydney carnival behind him when
defeating a high-class field in a vintage renewal of the Group II Holindale
Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Long considered one of the rising stars of the Hawkes team,
Leebaz only gained a start after the scratching of Mornington Cup winner Banca Mo.
It was his first win since the Group III Hawkesbury Gold Cup
in May last year.
Like a good deal of the offspring of Zabeel, Leebaz appreciated
the addition of blinkers. He needed to pull out all stops to deny the
consistent Sir Moments (Choisir) by a head with I'm Imposing (Danehill Dancer) a
length and a quarter back in third.
Co-trainer Michael Hawkes said Leebaz had been racing well
without luck.
"His run in the Doncaster was very good. He missed the start
and had to make up a lot of ground and he couldn't keep it going," Hawkes said
"We were sweating on getting a run being the first emergency,
but the rest is history.
"He's won good and with the blinkers on got the job done.
"Obviously we're targeting the Doomben Cup again this year,
he was unlucky last year when a very good mare Streama beat him."
In earning his second stakes victory, Leebaz advances his
record to 7 wins, 4 seconds and 1 third from 17 starts for earnings of $712,900.
Bred by Windsor Park Stud, Leebaz is a half-brother to
another team Hawkes trained horse, Polish Knight (Encosta de lago) the winner
of the Group II ATC Tulloch Stakes and runner-up in the Group 1 ATC Derby.
A son of the Polish Precedent mare Polish Princess (GB),
Leebaz was purchased out of the Windsor Park draft for $460,000 at the 2011 NZ
Bloodstock Premier Yearling sale.
A Listed stakes-winner, Polish Princess (GB) won four and placed
in six of her 11 starts and she placed in the Group 1 ARC Champions Mile.
A granddaughter of Meon Valley Stud's Broodmare Of The Year,
Reprocolor, Polish Princess has a 2yo filly by Galileo's triple Group 1 winner
Rip Van Winkle (IRE) named Euro Angel that was purchased by Hawkes Racing for
$200,000 at the 2014 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling sale.
She missed to O'Reilly in 2012 before producing a High
Chaparral (IRE) last year. She was bred back to Shamexpress.
