Placed in the Regal Roller Stakes and Testa Rossa Stakes at his past two starts, Godolphin’s Lonhro gelding Haunted had his moment in the sun in Wednesday’s Listed Ladbrokes Village Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Kerrin McEvoy positioned Haunted behind the even-money favourite Zoustyle but he was among the first to come off the bit. When Zoustyle began to paddle at the 200 metres, Haunted and Parsifal pounced with Haunted holding a half-length advantage with Inn Keeper a long-neck back in third. (image Grant Courtney) 
He’s had an amazing preparation. We freshened him up before his last start and he was a lot less fresh with that rum under his belt.
That form behind Begood Toya Mother was always going to mbe good at this stage of the Caulfield Cup carnival.
He was under the pump before the turn but he kept surging and took some pulling up.
“He’s done a great job for us and continued to thrive with the work. We have tailored his training a bit compared to last time and he has come through the grades beautifully. He’s been running in races that a horse like Trekking was running in 12 months ago and that ha come as long way.
Haunted becomes the third stakes winner for the former talented racemare Seances (Canny Lad) after the Group II AJC Sapphire Stakes winner Renaissance and Group II ATC Shorts winner Sessions who like Haunted are by the champion Lonhro.
The dam of nine winners from 11 to race, Seances is a stakes-winning half-sister to the tragically short-lived Group 1 winner Unworldly and the Group II winner Gordo.
Seances died in 2017. Her final foal is the 3yo Helmet filly Spirit Medium who broke her maiden at Bendigo in July.
Haunted becomes the 88th stakes-winner for Lonhro who is standing at Darley Kelvinside for a fee of $77,000.
