Group 1 success for Single Gaze
Single Gaze brought up multiple milestones when she scored a decisive victory in Saturday’s $500,000 ATC Vinery Stud (Storm Queen) S. 2000m G1, beating New Zealand Group 1 winner Valley Girl & Happy Hannah.
The diminutive filly is the fourth individual Group 1 winner – and the third this season alone – for the high-flying Not A Single Doubt, Australia’s current leading active sire with earnings of $8,533,125.
Single Gaze is also the first Group 1 winner prepared by well-regarded Canberra trainer Nick Olive, whose joy lit up the Rosehill mounting yard after the race.
He said, “I’m numb, I’m absolutely numb. It’s every trainer’s dream to win a Group 1 and it’s funny, I’ve just been so relaxed all week and came here today so confident… She’s just a top filly, she keeps stepping up to the mark and just such a gutsy little filly. She’s such a tough filly and everything she does, she just improves.”
Single Gaze’s impressive $90,638 earnings per start is thanks largely to her lucrative placings in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and this year’s Magic Millions Guineas. However, eleven of her 13 starts have been in Group & Listed company against both sexes and she has won or placed in seven of them. That’s the mark of a very good filly indeed.
Single Gaze’s win is a special success for Jamie, Fiona & Dimity Middleton of Redbank North who bred her with Arthur Mountier, Albert Tory, Wayne Oxford & Mark Cullen and sold for $70,000 to Nick Olive at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale. Redbank North and Mr Oxford retained a share in her ownership.
And, of course, Single Gaze has considerably enhanced the value of her city-winning dam Redaluca’s Gaze (by Intergaze), her weanling half-brother by So You Think and her full sibling due in October.
Not A Single Doubt has ten stakeswinners of 16 Group & Listed Races this term, but only two yearlings on offer at the Inglis Easter Sale. Yarraman Park & Arrowfield Studs can expect to be very busy parading the daughter of stakeswinner Royal Commands (Lot 46) & the son of Group 2 winner Colorado Claire (Lot 240).
