In-form galloper Rise At Dawn got off the canvas to score an unlikely victory in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on Saturday as he made it three wins in succession.
The son of Almanzor is prepared by Ben, Will and JD Hayes and has raced well through the winter months and may yet snare some spring riches after his tenacious win on Saturday.
Ridden in his customary positive manner by Michael Dee, Rise At Dawn looked to be under siege deep into the home straight but rallied late to get the better of resuming stayer Positivity as less than a length covered the first six across the line.
The gelding has now won seven of his 12 starts and been placed on a further two occasions, with A$492,085 in earnings to date.
“He is tough. He was definitely headed and fought back and we really didn’t get out of our chairs until the last 50m, it was a great win,” JD Hayes said.
“We have just ever so slightly continued to raise the bar and full credit goes to the horse, he has been up a long time.
“He had a freshen-up and he has winter fitness and it is just an incredible result for a great ownership group which has grown with each race.”
Hayes said he was loathe to turn out an in-form Rise At Dawn.
“If he is sound and well and licking the bin, he will tell us, but I am sure we can get a bit crafty in our placement, and there is a nice win in him,” Hayes said.
Winning rider Michael Dee is a fan of the smart four-year-old, but admitted he had his doubts of another victory turning for home.
“I thought we were beaten at the top of the straight, but I think the horse knew what he was doing because we were headed there but he found a second-wind and lifted again,” Dee said. “As we know, he is in a rich vein of form but he is turning up every time and trying his best.
“I like his demeanour. He walks around the yard conserving a lot of energy and when the gates open he knows it is race time, so he has some great attributes.”
Both the first and second horses are stakes-winning progeny of Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor, whose eldest Southern Hemisphere progeny are now four-year-olds and have made a terrific early impression.
The triple Group One winning son of Wootton Bassett stands for $30,000 this breeding season and has sired 19 stakes winners to date, including Group One winners Circle Of Fire and Manzoice.
Bred by the Smithies family’s Monovale Holdings, Rise At Dawn was purchased by Lindsay Park for A$90,000 at the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Rise At Dawn is an older brother of last season’s Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m) placegetter Kay’s Ruebe with their dam the Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m) winner and multiple Group One placegetter Kay’s Awake.