Trent Mayhew is elated as he lands his first career Gr 1 victory on the fairytale R37,500 purchase Hazy Dazy, who is now on course to become the sixth horse in history to win the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara (JC Photos)
Trainer Corne Spies deserves his success with Hazy Dazy, who is on the cusp of becoming Act Of War’s second Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara winner, because ostensibly he actually bred the smart three-year-old filly.
Hazy Dazy is out of the Eightfold Path mare Rabbedoe, whom Corne trained.
After training her he bred with her and was responsible for putting her in foal to Act Of War.
However, COVID-19 then hit and he gave her away to David Makins prior to Hazy Dazy being born.
Corne’s father Tobie Spies used to train for David Makins and hence the connection.
Hazy Dazy was officially bred by Breedon Stud, owned by David Makins and his wife Martha.
Xander Spies believes Hazy Dazy would always have ended up in the Spies yard anyway, but Corne made sure of it by purchasing her at the David Makins dispersal Sale upon the latter’s passing.
He picked her up for a mere R37,500 and a rags to riches fairytale might now repeat itself, considering Act Of War’s first Triple Tiara winner, the Paul Matchett-trained Act Of War filly War Of Athena, was purchased at a Sale for just R30,000.
War Of Athena won the Triple Tiara five years ago in 2021 and is one of five to achieve the feat alongside Igugu (2011), Cherry On The Top (Tiger Ridge) (2013), Summer Pudding (Silvano) (2020) and Rain In Holland (Duke Of Marmalade)(2022).
Hazy Dazy’s damsire Eightfold Path has a magnificent pedigree, being by “the iron horse” Giant’s Causeway out of the superstar five-times Gr 1-winning racehorse Divine Proportions (Kingmambo), who was European Champion Two-year-old and European Champion Three-year-old,
However, he did not make it as a sire and Xander said, “It’s not a pairing (Act Of War-Rabbedoe) most would have thought would produce something this good, but I guess you can find them anywhere.”
Xander pointed out that although Rabbedoe’s mother Brataloochee was a “proper” racehorse, Rabbedoe’s pedigree page had “nothing” of note to the extent that on the Sales page it went all the way down to the sixth dam.
The yard received Hazy Dazy in the December of her yearling year and he remembered her being quite a runt and looking more like a weanling.
The yard often buys on spec and then puts a syndicate of owners together.
The owners of Hazy Dazy are Mr D Dasrath & Mrs C Dasrath, Messrs R P Macnab, S Poriazis, Vikash Sobaren, X Spies & D Vayapuri
Hazy Dazy has grown into a noticeably tall filly and has a fine action, which has carried her to six wins in eight starts, including a Gr 1, a Gr 2 and a Gr3.
Act Of War is by Dynasty, who was a stamina influence, and Eightfold Path could possibly bring stamina too being by stamina influence Giant’s Causeway.
However, Hazy Dazy’s first and second dams, Rabbedoe and Brataloochee, were both speedsters.
Rabbedoe only had three runs, finishing fifth, beaten seven lengths on debut, before finishing a 1,25 length second in the Listed Ruffian Stakes over 1000m second time out. She then won a Juvenile PLate over 1160m by 1,75 lengths.
Her dam Brataloochee was by sprinter Cataloochee and in eleven runs her three wins were all over 1200m and her her four places were from 1000m to 1200m.
However, Xander Spies has no doubt Hazy Dazy will see out the Oaks trip,
Hazy Dazy has in fact won over 2000m before and on Saturday her win over the tough Turffontein Standside 1800m course and distance was in sticky going.
Xander Spies said, “There are no indications in my mind that she will not stay the Oaks trip. In fact what is interesting is that all of the horses who had been labelled as ones that would stay actually finished further back in the Classic than they had done in the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.”
Hazy Dazy’s supporters had a scary moment in the race, because after leading it appeared she had been swamped at the 400m mark.
However, she had soon fought back and established a clear lead before holding on by a length.
Xander said, “I was slightly concerned but Trent (Mayhew) gave a very good explanation. He said the same happens every race, but this was one of the few times she had been in front. So he hadn’t pulled the stick, because she was just cruising and he just waited another 50m, as he would normally do, knowing she had a lot left.”
A big part of Hazy Dazy’s fairytale-like story is that the connections opted to keep apprentice Trent Mayhew aboard when she was aimed at the bigger prizes, despite him only recently have lost his claim.
Hazy Dazy’s first feature success was in the Gr 3 Fillies Mile at Turffontein Standside on Betway Summer Cup day.
Despite starting at odds of 17/2 she won that by an authoritative one lengths from the Alyson Wright-trained Charge It, who is a Varsfontein Stud-hombred Gimmethegreenlight filly who is a full sister to Sucharge, who won a Gr 1 in both SA and in Australia.
Hazy Dazy was supposed to run in the race Charge It won next time out, the Listed War Of Athena Handicap, but she sustained a slight injury and it was decided not to risk it.
She then started at the amazing odds of 25/1 for the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, despite having beaten most of the field in the Fillies Mile.
She won the Guineas in effortless fashion in the end, despite actually looking a bit green. It had appeared that Trent Mayhew was battling to get her going, but once he had got her on to the right leg she took off and passed the others with ease.
The bookmakers were way more cautious on Saturday and she was sent off as even money favourite.
Her aims after the Triple Tiara series is over look to be the Woolavington 2000, but Xander emphasised she would not be going for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
He said that history had shown that making a full bid for the Triple Tiara took a bit out of a horse and the July would be a bridge too far this year, although it was definitely on the cards for next year.
It was a fine day for the Spies yard on Saturday as they also won the Gr 3 TAB J J The Jet Plane Stakes over 1000m with their sprinting stalwart William Robertson (Rafeef), who is now a 17 time winner and he will be going for the Computaform Sprint next, a Gr 1 wfa event he has won before.
The Spies yard only have 14 horses of three years old or older and yet have won five black type races this season.
Rob Macnab also has a share in William Robertson and both he and Hazy Dazy run in his blue, white crossed sashes, red sleeves and cap colours.
Meanwhile, Rabbedoe was purchased on the same Sale as Hazy Dazy by a bloodstock agent who seeks second careers for horses and it is believed she was subsequently sold to a riding school somewhere in the Limpopo.
Upon hearing that news there might be a Finder Keepers type rush by Breeders to try and track her down!
