The Peter Moody-trained three-year-old Miss Gai Flyer has upstaged some of her more fancied stablemates to land the Kevin Hayes Stakes at Caulfield.
The filly, who failed to find form last spring after a promising two-year-old season, was back to her best as she streaked away to an easy first-up win in Saturday’s Listed fillies’ feature over 1200m.
Ridden by apprentice Jason Maskiell, Miss Gai Flyer ($20) was never going to lose in the straight, bursting clear to score by 2-1/4 lengths from Miss Elvee ($21) with Pinker Pinker ($9) a half-head back third.
Moody said it was pleasing to see Miss Gai Flyer back in form.
“As a two-year-old she was up with our best fillies, it is great to see her back in that form,” Moody said.
“She didn’t come up at all in the spring when we tried blinkers on her and blamed wet tracks.
“Whether that’s the case I am not sure.”
“She has just smoked the pipe in behind them and once she got out behind the stablemate (Zelsnitz) she was never going to get beaten,” Moody said.
“It was a good ride by Jason, aided by a good barrier.”
Belmont Bloodstock Agency’s Damon Gabbedy purchased Miss Gai Flyer as a yearling at the 2009 William Inglis Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Torryburn Stud for $250,000.
By champion sire Flying Spur, she became his 79th individual stakeswinner, and she is out of the Gilded Time mare, Power Of One.
Gabbedy recalls she was an outstanding yearling with a lot of quality and a very close relation to HA HA (by Danehill), the Golden Slipper winner of 8 races and nearly $3 million in prizemoney.
This is the first yearling purchased by Belmont Bloodstock Agency for Gary and Wendy Pfeiler of Sunlands Produce in Waikerie South Australia and Gabbedy is thrilled to have purchased a stakeswinner for them.
Miss Gai Flyer was most unlucky in finishing a close second in the Group 2 Karrakatta Stakes in Perth as a 2 year old and her early form was very strong. At her second race start she ran a great 5th beaten only 4 ½ lengths by Crystal Lily in the Sweet Embrace Stakes in Sydney. It is great to see her win so impressively first up.
John Cornish’s Torryburn Stud in East Gresford who bred Miss Gai Flyer will offer her half brother as Lot 196, a colt by Rock Of Gibraltar at the upcoming Melbourne Premier Yearling sales.
Torryburn Stud sent Power Of One to Fastnet Rock last season and she is safely in foal on an early service.