Arrowfield Magic Millions graduate Tagaloa is firmly on course for a second Group 1 victory after winning Saturday’s $160,000 VRC C.S. Hayes S. 1400m G3.
It was a strong performance by the colt, whose class and tenacity prevailed to carry topweight of 59.5 kg and defeat the better-favoured Aysar (with 56 kg) by a length in 1:21.63.
If he can also win the $1 million Australian Guineas G1 – where he will meet his rivals at set weights – Tagaloa will be the third Arrowfield-branded colt to claim both races after Zabeel (1990) and Wandjina (2015).
Tagaloa has now won three and placed 2nd, 3rd or 4th in six of his 11 starts, earning $1.3 million and a substantial stallion value already realised by Yulong’s purchase of a controlling interest in him last March.
The son of Champion Sprinter and leading Japanese sire Lord Kanaloa and Vasilissa (by Heart’s Cry) is one of five Group 1 winners bred by the Arrowfield/Northern Farm partnership, following Horse of the Year Weekend Hussler, Reaan, Hot Snitzel & Sweet Idea.
Offered at the 2019 Magic Millions Sale, Tagaloa was purchased for $300,000 by his trainers Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young. His half-sister by Not A Single Doubt is Lot 146 in Arrowfield’s draft for April’s Inglis Easter Sale, and their dam Vasilissa is in foal to Snitzel.
