Group 1 winner caps Not A Single Doubt’s day

Multiple winners in a day isn’t that unusual for Not A Single Doubt, but it’s always special to cap five wins in four states with two new stakeswinners, one of them at Group 1 level.

That’s what Not A Single Doubt did on Super Saturday in Perth where Good Project won the $1 million Railway S. 1600m G1 and 3YO filly Let It Slip took out the $100,000 Placid Ark S. 1200m LR.

Chris Waller’s inspired decision to send four-time Sydney winner Good Project to Perth and book big-time rider Craig Williams delivered a stunning all-the-way victory at the 4YO entire’s first try in Group 1 company.

Watch Good Project’s Railway S. G1 win.

Stable representative Justine Hales praised Williams’ ride, “He summed it up perfectly before the race, he said he had to jump out and get handy and we didn’t think that he would get to the lead that easily.

“He slowed them up and he waited to pinch that break coming around to the top of the straight. He is a great rider, he thinks about things so well and he knew that horse had no weight and they just had to try and catch him.”

She said of Good Project, “He is a lovely colt and he is a lovely horse to deal with. Everything he does he just takes in his stride and that is what has helped him. Going to Brisbane taught him how to travel.”

Williams’ perfect judgement of pace, and Good Project’s generous kick at the top of the straight allowed them to steal another length their rivals could not find. Messene (from a Redoute’s Choice mare) fought on well for second, two lengths away,  and Balmont Girl was a half-length further back in third place. The favourite, last season’s Champion Australian 3YO Filly Delicacy, finished in sixth position, more than three lengths from Good Project.

Bred by Richard Pietrykowski from the winning mare Euchre (by Final Card), Good Project is a half-brother to five winners including dual Singapore Group winner World Airlines (10 wins) and stakes-placed Singapore winner Alacarte (11 wins). Bred on the same cross as Magic Millions star Karuta Queen, he is Not A Single Doubt’s equal second top-priced yearling, sold from Mike & Debbie O’Donnell’s Fairhill Farm draft for $300,000 at the 2013 Inglis Melbourne Sale.

Mike O’Donnell said after Good Project’s Group 1 victory, “He was an outstanding yearling that had great presence. He always had the right attributes to be a Group 1 horse, and he’s proven that today.”

He added, “Not A Single Doubt gives everyone a chance, broodmare, breeder, sale company, trainer and owner! We love him.”

Good Project is owned by Macau businessman C.C. Lai whose red & yellow silks have also been carried by Sydney Cup winner Grand Marshal and Group 1 winner Delectation. Good Project’s five wins and 11 placings from 21 starts have added almost $1 million to Mr Lai’s racing account.

3YO filly Let It Slip, only a month past her maiden win, added another black type success to Not A Single Doubt’s day when she prevailed in the $100,000 WATC Placid Ark S. 1200m LR.

Watch Let It Slip’s Placid Ark S. LR win.

Let It Slip was bred by Chris Gales out of the city winner Oopsy Doopsy (by General Nediym), from the family of dual Group 1 winner Hollow Bullet. Offered by Gales’ Gervase Park Stud at the 2014 Magic Millions Perth Sale, she was purchased for $130,000 by trainer and part-owner Daniel Pearce.

Good Project and Let It Slip take Not A Single Doubt’s tally of stakeswinners to 29, and with Berlutti (Ballarat), Not A Zerprise (Morphettville) and Hesitation (Doomben) gave the brilliant son of Redoute’s Choice five wins for the day.

They have also helped him leap to fourth position on the current Australian General Sires’ table, with earnings of $3.3 million.

Not A Single Doubt has 32 lots catalogued for the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, including Arrowfield’s filly from Miss Sharapova – she’s a three-quarter sister to Not A Single Doubt’s Group 2-winning daughter Villa Verde.
The NZ Bloodstock Premier Sale catalogue includes three fillies and a colt by Not A Single Doubt, and three colts and two fillies are listed for February’s Inglis Classic Sale.