Seven-year-old gelding Black Sail (NZ) (Savabeel) made it back-to-back wins in Adelaide when successful in Monday’s Listed CS Hayes Memorial Cup (1600m) at Morphettville on Adelaide Cup Day.
The son of Savabeel was sent across the border by the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable to win over the same course and distance last month and clearly gleaned plenty of confidence from the win.
Sent straight to the lead by Harry Coffey on Monday, Black Sail comfortably held a solid field, with runner-up Royal Mile two lengths astern at the line.
“It is good to get a win in a pretty good race on Black Sail. He’s been a horse I have ridden a lot and he can be a little bit tricky, but when he gets it his own way, which he did today, he can be quite dynamic,” Coffey said.
“He showed that last time he was here at Morphettville when he won last start.
“Not only is it great to be back in Adelaide at Morphettville on an awesome day with a big crowd, it is great to be riding Black Sail and get the win for the Maher-Eustace team and First Light Racing.”
Black Sail has now won eight of his 47 starts, with a further 12 placings and Coffey was confident he would be hard to beat upon turning for home.
“I thought that they would really be coming at me late. But along the back and around the bend he was just doing it within himself really easily and that is probably what was the telling factor late,” he said.
“He is a horse that when he has got a lot of confidence and belief in himself, he can be really strong through the line.
“The fact that I was able to be in a nice rhythm and keep the bridle in his mouth for pretty much the whole race really told late and he was really strong.”
The previously stakes-placed Black Sail became the 125th stakes winner for Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel.
Bred by Jason Abrahams, the gelding is out of the Singspiel mare Ennerdale, the dam of eight winners including fellow black-type winners Samara Dancer and Éclair Big Bang, plus stakes performers Defiant Dancer and Dancer’s Kin.
