Dawn Wall (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), an A$1.3 million purchase by the BBA Ireland on behalf of the Niarchos Family’s Flaxman Stable at the 2015 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, made it three consecutive wins Friday with a smart last-to-first rally to take out the A$200,000 G3 Arrowfield Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) Friday afternoon.
Punted down to $4.80 (19-5) third favoritism, the well-related daughter of Mennetou (Ire) (Entrepreneur {GB}) was snagged back to the tail of the field from her double-digit draw and was guided down onto the inside running rail by Kerrin McEvoy to save valuable ground through the middle stages. Dawn Wall advanced steadily up the fence, got through exiting the final corner and had the pacesetting market leader Lubiton (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) in her sights at the 200m. Eased to the outside of that one by McEvoy, Dawn Wall found an extra gear and was along late to score by a long neck (video).
“It was a good effort coming from last to first up the straight,” Charlie Duckworth, racing manager to trainer Chris Waller, told Sky Thoroughbred Central. “Kerrin wasn’t overly hard on her, I think he had a little bit left in the locker despite the narrow margin.”
Added McEvoy of the winner, who holds an entry for the G1 ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) at The Championships Apr. 8: “She’s progressing really well. She had an awkward draw (13). Chris and the team left it up to me to work it out after a furlong. I had the horse pick up into the race from the 600 on and she’s done it quite nice. It was a nice filly to run down in Lubiton, it took me the whole length of the straight to get to her, but my filly did it nicely.”
Bred in New South Wales by Katom and Arkle Bloodstock (Demi O’Byrne), Dawn Wall was consigned to the Easter sale by Coolmore, who race the filly in partnership with Flaxman and O’Byrne. The winner’s unraced dam, a daughter of French Horse of the Year Detroit (Fr) (Riverman) and therefore a half-sister to 1994 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Carnegie (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), is responsible for the Danehill Dancer (Ire) full-sisters MGSW & GISP Osaila (Ire) and GSW Obama Rule (Ire). The female family also includes the legendary Zabeel (NZ) and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Roderic O’Connor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Dawn Wall’s 2-year-old full-sister Ejin Horo (Aus), was an A$500,000 acquisition by the China Horse Club out of the 2016 Easter Sale and has been turned over to Ciaron Maher. Mennetou produced another full-sister to Dawn Wall in 2016 and was most recently bred back to Fastnet Rock (Aus). – Thoroughbred Daily News
