Gai Waterhouse and Greg Kolivos have combined with another promising two-year-old in Nayeli who last Saturday took out the Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield.
Best known as the trainer/owner combination who raced Pierro who claimed the Sydney 2YO Triple Crown in 2012, the pair look to have uncovered another talented juvenile in Nayeli.
The More Than Ready filly was a convincing first up winner at Randwick where she ran strong figures.
Subsequently, Nayeli started as favourite in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield last Saturday.
It was a most encouraging display by the filly who produced a performance more mature than what is usually seen from a two-year-old fresh off a debut win.
Jumping well for jockey Vlad Duric, Nayeli sat outside the leader and second favourite Bugatty.
Nayeli and Bugatty put a space on their rivals quickly upon straightening and it wasn’t long until the former had drawn level with the Team Hawkes-trained colt.
Bugatty couldn’t match motors with Nayeli though as the filly drew clear for a 2.3 length success.
It was another 2.3 lengths back to the Qatar Bloodstock-raced Cautious.
Nayeli’s professionalism was one of the most impressive factors of her Melbourne debut which yielded a new master Timeform rating of 110p.
This rating sits on the prior five year winning average of the event with Crystal Lily possessing the highest figure during that period.
Crystal Lily won the 2010 renewal of the Chairman’s Stakes by nearly five lengths and concluded her two-year-old season by claiming the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m).
Nayeli’s success in the Chairman’s Stakes continues the dominance of fillies in the event with members of the fairer sex having now won eight of the past nine renewals.
The Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes will be Nayeli’s main goal however appears to have hit what is shaping as a vintage renewal.
Rubick is currently favourite for the first 2YO Group 1 feature of the season and rightly so, possessing a master Timeform rating of 122+ for his scintillating debut performance.
Earthquake is second elect having also impressed on debut with a display assessed at 115+.
The pair will each have their first Melbourne raceday appearances in their respective Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) events.
