Justify Filly Salutes on Debut

Australia’s leading first crop sire by earnings, Triple Crown winner Justify added an eighth Australian two year-old winner to his tally when well bred filly Batrana (2f Justify x Badawiya, by Al Maher) made a winning debut at Geelong on Friday.

Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Batrana was expected to need the run and was easy in the market, but she dived through late between horses to snatch a head win in a thrilling finish to a most competitive juvenile fillies maiden featuring 14 runners!

“There’s not a lot of her at the moment and she’s going to mature and certainly be better next time in,” said Calvin McEvoy.

“We might take the pressure off her now for a while as she’s done a great job to come to the races and win. She’s a very raw filly with plenty of upside.”

Batrana is a homebred for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and is the third winner from three foals to race from Group II winning Al Maher mare Badawiya, a half-sister to South African Group I winner Rumya tracing back along her tail female line to champion Australian mare Emancipation.

Batrana adds to the Australian success of Justify, who has sired two Group I winners in the Northern Hemisphere this year in Arabian Lion and Aspen Grove.

The undefeated Triple Crown winner by Scat Daddy is due back in Australia this spring at a fee of $77,000.