An $11,000 yearling starting at $101 produced a near last to first finish to take the $1million Perth Cup at Ascot on New Year’s Day.
Having been comfortably beaten in an unflattering six length seventh in the ATA Stakes on December 18, Dalghar’s Hemlock Stone was given scant attention in the betting ring and took up an inconspicuous position near the tail with only one horse behind him during the run.
As the field bunched into the home straight, Patrick Carberry shifted to the outside, overcame buffeting, and the Grant and Alana Williams gelding maintained a strong surge to beat Diamond Scene (So You Think) by three quarters of a length with Be Optimistic (Blackfriars) third.
It was the sixth win for the Williams duo in the Perth Cup.
“I actually wanted to put this bloke out and had a really good chat with Pete (Peter Lalor) and obviously because of the syndication and what he puts into Perth racing he goes this is good for racing,” said Grant Williams.
“We were just hoping more than anything.
“It’s actually blown me away. It’s so good for Belhus Racing.”
“I thought gees he’s got some tricks but he settled really well for me which he doesn’t always do, said Carberry.
“The further he went the better he went. He was all grit.”
The win takes Hemlock Stone’s record to seven wins, one second, and three thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $765,990.
The five-year-old was an $11,000 purchase for Belhus Racing Stables from the Willow Dale Farm draft at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale Book 2.
Hemlock Stone is the second foal of Savabeel mare Spiritual, who is out of a half-sister to five time Group I winner Eremein.
Spiritual has an unraced two-year-old colt by Time To Reign which made $48,000 to Bayliss Racing from the Lyndhurst draft at Magic Millions March Yearling Sale, and foaled a colt by Barbaric in 2024.
Hemlock Stone is the fifth stakes winner for Anabaa stallion Dalghar who stands at New Zealand’s Brighthill Farm at a fee of $2,000 in 2024, however has served only a handful of mares in recent years.
