Catchy Ready for More Group I Success

A brilliant winner of the Group I MRC Blue Diamond last season at two, classy filly Catchy (3f Fastnet Rock x Cat's Whisker, by Fusaichi Pegasus) produced her very best at Randwick on Saturday to score a scintillating last to first win in the $600,000 Group II ATC Arrowfield Sprint against the colts.

Ridden cold by Joao Moreira at the tail of the field, Catchy unleashed a sensational turn of foot to charge home and win the 1200 metre sprint by a length and a half taking her overall record to six wins from 15 starts with prizemoney of $1.9 million.

Catchy gave the Hayes/Dabernig stable their second stakes-winner of the day.

“She went to open class (this preparation),” David Hayes said. “I think in the three-year-old year, most of them have struggled when they got to open class.

“She’s not quite as good as when she was at two but ridden that way was really classy today to come from last.”

Hayes now intends to take Catchy to Adelaide for a Group I target in three weeks.

“We’ll head her off to the Robert Sangster,” he said.

A $220,000 Inglis Australian Easter purchase from the Coolmore draft for Robert Crabtree's Dorrington Farm, Catchy was foaled and raised at Coolmore for her breeder Joy Jenkins.

Catchy is the fourth winner from four foals to race from Group II winner Cats Whisker, a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (USA).

Coolmore sold the full brother to Catchy at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale this week for $500,000 to Lindsay Park Racing / Andrew Williams Bloodstock.

Cats Whisker produced a filly by Pierro last spring and is now back in foal to Fastnet Rock.