Flying 2YO Winner for Vancouver

Team Hawkes unleashed exciting filly Vandoula Lass (2f Vancouver x Doula, by Commands) at Sandown on Wednesday as a short priced favourite in the juvenile fillies event over 1000m.

Head and shoulders above her rivals on type in the mounting yard, Vandoula Lass had little trouble hunting down the Godolphin entry Translation, zooming past her to go on and win by two and three-quarter lengths.

“We did think she’d come here and win,” said co-trainer Wayne Hawkes.

“She’s an absolute dream (to work with), she walked into the mounting enclosure and walked around as if she owned the joint and looked like a five-year-old gelding.

“It’s always good when a two-year-old has got ability but they’ve also got the attitude.”

Vandoula Lass was a $70,000 Magic Millions purchase from Orbis Bloodstock from the KBL Thoroughbreds draft, but the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on January 9 is an unlikely target according to Hawkes.

Winning rider Craig Williams was extremely impressed with Vandoula Lass having ridden her in a recent jumpout and then again on race day, so she may have bigger fish to fry in the autumn.

“I was so impressed by her physique but more importantly her mannerisms in the jumpout,” Williams said.

“She still had to do it under race conditions, but just the way she didn’t spend any extra energy walking around the yard, cantering to the start and in the gates... she’s a real high-class filly with a great attitude.”

Vandoula Lass is the first winner from metropolitan winning Commands mare Doula, who died in 2019 after having just two foals.

Doula came from the Asawir branch of the Easy Date family featuring Group I winners Rewayaa, Sense of Occasion and Ertijaal.

Vandoula Lass is the first winner from the second crop of Golden Slipper winner Vancouver, who has given Team Hawkes two winners from two runners with three year-old gelding Yukon winning on debut for them last month at Wyong.