The lone two-year-old in the field, West Of Dalby, made a winning career debut in a 900m maiden at Newcastle to credit the Highview Stud bound Santos with his first Australian 2yo winner.
Ridden by Jess Del Frari for Ben Smith, West Of Dalby took advantage of the inside barrier to track the odds-on favourite Party Doll. When that 3yo daughter of Sooboog began to tire, West Of Dalby pounced to win by a short-head. The 3yo Deep Field filly She's A Bad Girl was three lengths back in third.
"We thought she was a really nice horse early and rushed her," Ben Smith said.
"When she trialled poorly, we backed off and took it easy on her. We gave her another trial, and she trialled super at Hawkesbury.
"Today, with a lot of first-starters, we weren't sure over the 900m. They can wander around a lot, but she hit the line strongly.
"This filly has a bit of a future, and it is Jess's first winner for us, so it is super."
A $115,000 purchase for ML Racing from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, West Of Dalby was a $55,000 pinhook for Valencia Park from the Segenhoe Stud draft at the National Weanling Sale.
Bred by Aquis Farm, the daughter of Santos is a half-sister to stakes-placed Lanigera (Denman) and is the seventh winner for the stakes-winning Exceed And Excel mare Chinchilla.
Anthony Freedman Racing/Julian Blaxland Bloodstock FBAA shelled out $100,000 for a brother to West Of Dalby at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She has a weanling colt by Pierro and missed to St Mark's Basilica (FR) and Maurice (JPN) last spring before a December rendezvous with Pierro.
Santos relocates from Aquis Farm to Highview Stud this year. The Group II-winning son of I Am Invincible is riding high as the leading first-season sire in New Zealand, thanks to the brilliant Ulanova.
A seven lengths winner on debut in the Group III Taranaki 2YO Classic, the daughter of Santos finished second in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes won by Tokyo Tycoon.
