$1million Bondi Stakes Win for Fastnet Rock Colt

It doesn’t carry Black Type, but it is worth a lot of money and the $1million ATC Bondi Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday was won by classy colt Hilal (3c Fastnet Rock x Salma, by Encosta de Lago), who was a last start Group II winner.

Trained by Team Hawkes, Hilal got the valuable Black Type win at his most recent run when taking out the Group II ATC Stan Fox Stakes and this week he got the cash.

Sent out favourite with Tommy Berry in the saddle, Hilal showed his class when cruising clear to win by more than a length.

“Last start he put the writing on the wall,” said Michael Hawkes.

“This preparation he’s really starting to put it altogether. He’s been a work in progress. We love making colts and we’ve made another one in this bloke.”

A homebred for Emirates Park, Hilal has the overall record of three wins and four placings from 10 starts with prizemoney topping $1million.

Hilal is a half-brother to South African stakes-winner Trojan Warrior and is the third winner from three to race from blue-blooded Encosta de Lago mare Salma, an unraced daughter of Group III winner Salameh, a half-sister to Emirates Park’s Group I winner and sire Al Maher.

This is the Show Dancing branch of the Dancing Show family, most famous for the Shantha’s Choice branch that has given us Group I winners such as Redoute’s Choice, Manhattan Rain and Shoals, who is by Hilal’s sire Fastnet Rock.

Salma has a two year-old filly by Fastnet Rock to follow.