PROMISING filly Irish Lights emerged as the new star of the David Hayes stable with a fighting win in today’s Group One $500,000 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.
Irish Lights, $3.50 favorite, justified the confidence and persistence of top jockey Glen Boss with her long neck win over the Sydneysider, Melito, $5.50, with the Bart Cummings-trained Faint Perfume, $31, a short neck away third.
Hayes, who this week sacked his stable rider Craig Williams, paid tribute to the persistence of Boss who began ‘pestering’ him for the ride on Irish Lights three months ago.“He was on my back to ride her in July,” Hayes said. “Persistence pays and Glen got the right result today. When he believes in a horse his record speaks for itself.”
Irish Lights was in an unfamiliar role sitting outside the leader Fomalite before dashing clear half way down the straight. She had only a long neck to spare on the line from the fast finishing Melito but Boss claimed the filly was unextended.
“She was just waiting for the opposition in the straight,” Boss said.
Irish Lights has been nominated for the VRC Oaks but Hayes said she was unlikely to follow the same path as his other Thousand Guineas winner. Miss Finland which completed the double in 2006.
Hayes said Miss Finland was a top-class filly with the arsenal to fire over more distances whereas Irish Lights appealed as a specialist miler.
The Group One Myer Classic (1600m) for fillies and mares on Derby Day will be her next run while her autumn campaign will include the Australian Guineas and the Doncaster Mile.
“She raced against her pattern and was still able to win and that's pretty exciting,” Hayes said. “She is more explosive if she gets cover and if she gets it in the Myer Classic you will see a superstar.”
