2YO filly Fundamentalist in Adelaide and 3YO filly Special Alert in Perth supplied his second same-day pair of stakes victories in the past 5 weeks, after Group successes by Not A Single Cent at Flemington and Sugar Bella at Randwick on 10 March.

Fundamentalist (ex Centafaith by Sunday Silence’s son Keep The Faith) was a most impressive winner of the $110,000 SAJC Dequettville S. 1050m LR, after settling wide and near the back of the field, then launching a strong run down the outside to score by almost a length from the favourite Music Bay and Al Naifa (by Redoute’s Choice).  

Watch Fundamentalist win the SAJC Dequettville S. LR.

Fundamentalist was bred by Maree Cunningham & Michael Hadley’s Balance Thoroughbreds and sold by Holbrook Thoroughbreds for $135,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale to co-owner Aquis Farm & Blue Sky Bloodstock. The female family produced a good number of durable southern New Zealand stakeswinners during the 1970s and 1980s, including Fundamentalist’s grand-dam Centaleigh.

Now the winner of her last two starts, Fundamentalist also completed a double for the Lindsay Park team which won the $600,000 ATC Arrowfield 3YO Sprint G2 with top-class filly Catchy less than 30 minutes before the Adelaide race.

Fundamentalist will remain in Adelaide with races like the Breeders’ S. G3  on 28 April, Queen Adelaide S. LR on 5 May and Sires’ Produce S. G3 on 12 May all possible targets for her. 

She is the 19th 2YO stakeswinner by Not A Single Doubt, and his third in that category this season after Qafila (also trained by David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig), and Not A Single Cent, prepared by Aaron Purcell.

It’s fair to say that Not A Single Doubt is much better known as a source of juvenile, 3YO and older sprinters – for example, Group 1 winners Miracles Of Life, Extreme Choice and Secret Agenda. 

However, his record does include six winners of 7 Group & Listed Races at 2000 metres and beyond, notably the recently retired Group 1 winner and Caulfield Cup runner-up Single Gaze and now Special Alert, winner of Saturday’s $250,000 WATC Western Australian Oaks 2400m G3.

The punters gave Special Alert little chance, sending her out at $61, and her odds lengthened when she ended up three deep and midfield for much of the race. Jockey Chris Parnham rolled the dice at the 600-metre mark when he drove the filly forward around the field to hit the front at the top of the straight.  Special Alert responded with a thoroughly determined effort in the final stages, staving off Like A Butterfly by a half-length, with the winner’s Grant & Alana Williams-trained stablemate American Joy third.

Watch Special Alert win the WATC WA Oaks G3. – click the Replay button for Race 6.

Special Alert is the ninth WA Oaks winner for leading Perth owners Bob & Sandra Peters whose mare Truly Special, by Melbourne Cup winner Jeune and a city winner up to 2200 metres, deserves credit for supplying her daughter’s stamina. It will now be interesting to see what Truly Special has imparted to her next three foals, all colts by Dundeel, whose classic stamina was matched by championship speed and acceleration. 

Seven of Not A Single Doubt’s stakeswinners have been successful in Perth. Special Alert’s victory was preceded by Group 1 winners Good Project & Scales of Justice and Listed winners Cavallo Pazzo, Final Salute, Let It Slip and Single Spice. 

Unsurprisingly, the market’s enthusiasm for Not A Single Doubt remains strong and his 68 yearlings sold across all 2018 sales have averaged almost $250,000. Last week’s Inglis Easter Sale recorded his second 7-figure yearling price when leading agent James Harron paid $1.05 million for his standout son from the Starcraft mare Star Pupil.