G1 Toorak Goal for Gentleman Roy
Progressive gelding Gentleman Roy (6g So You Think x La La Land, by Last Tycoon) broke through for a well-deserved black Type success at Sandown on Sunday when taking out the Group III MRC Sandown Stakes (1500m).
Trained at Lindsay Park by Ben and JD Hayes and ridden by Jye McNeil, Gentleman Roy led at every call to defeat Military Expert by three-quarters of a length.
He advances his record to seven wins, three seconds, and a third from 13 starts with earnings of $490,050 and a Group I target now on the horizon
“He’s just been on the up this whole prep,” Ben Hayes said.
“He put the writing on the wall with his first-up run and I think we did our best Alligator Blood impersonation there. We got inspiration from Gai and Adrian.
“He really rolled, and he really likes a rolling tempo. He gets everything chasing and was tough through the line, which I liked.
“We had to win today to get enough of a rating to get in (to the G1 Toorak Hcp). I’m hoping this win will sneak him in at the minimum weight.”
Retained to race by his breeder Peter Woods, Gentleman Roy is a half-brother to stakes-winner and $1.2million earner Jacquinot Bay and is one of five winners from winning Last Tycoon (IRE) mare La La Land, a half-sister to stakes-winner Wake Me Not.
He becomes the 44th stakes-winner for So You Think, who had a Group II quinella on Saturday with his quality mares Nimalee and Palaisipan.