Qafila (AUS)
2 f Not A Single Doubt – Zighy Bay by Tapit
O: Shadwell Stud Australasia Ltd Syndicate
T: D & B Hayes & T Dabernig
B: Woodpark Stud
S: Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, $450,000 V: Attunga Stud P: Shadwell Australasia
W: Inglis Debutant Stakes, Listed 1000m, Caulfield, 14 October
After a slow start, the Lindsay Park-trained Qafila showed good determination to win well on her racecourse debut at Caulfield on Saturday in the $120,000 Inglis Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m).
She settled second last from barrier eight under jockey Damien Oliver and enjoyed an uninterrupted run through along the rails in the middle part of the race to move into a challenging position.
Once into the straight, she moved out to challenge, went after the pacemaker, ranged up to the main chances and drove hard over the final 50 metres to win well by a neck from Sacred Sword (Exceed And Excel).
Qafila was purchased for $450,000 by Shadwell Australasia at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January from the draft of Scone-based Attunga Stud.
She is one of two named foals out of the placed Tapit (Pulpit) mare Zighy Bay, who is herself a three-quarter sister to the American Grade Three winner Sacristy (Pulpit). Zighy Bay produced a filly named Jolie Joy by Kendargent (Kendor) in 2014 and a colt by Zoustar (Northern Meteor) in 2016, though she missed to I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) having been covered by him last November.
Qafila’s second dam, the stakes-placed Christies Treasure (Belong To Me), is a blood sister to three-time Grade One winner Jersey Girl (Belong To Me), herself the dam of Grade One winner Jersey Town (Speightstown).
This is also the same family as Grade One winner Purge (Pulpit), Grade Two winner Valid Wager (Valid Appeal), Australian Group Three winner St. Petersburg (Nureyev) and stakes winners Copelan’s Bid Gal (Copelan) and Namaste’s Wish (Pulpit).