Mr Brightside (NZ) Shines as Kiwi-Breds Dominate Doncaster

The (NZ) suffix towered above all others in one of Sydney’s iconic races on Saturday, with rising star Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) headlining a New Zealand-bred trifecta in the A$3m Group One The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick.

The lightly raced four-year-old conquered a star-studded field of some of Australia’s finest milers, scoring by half a length from fellow kiwi-breds I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) and Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls).

Mr Brightside was a $22,000 purchase by Phill Cataldo at the 2019 Karaka May Sale, and he was passed in with a $50,000 reserve at the Ready to Run Sale later that year.

He has come from nowhere to win seven of his 13 starts in a career spanning only 14 months, including a six-race winning sequence between August and October of last year. Mr Brightside has earned in excess of A$2.47 million, which is more than 112 times his purchase price.

He became the ninth New Zealand-bred winner of the time-honoured Doncaster in just the last 14 years, following on from Brutal (NZ) (O’Reilly) in 2019, Kermadec (NZ) (Teofilo) in 2015, Sacred Falls (NZ) (O’Reilly) in 2013 and 2014, More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready) in 2012, Rangirangdoo (NZ) (Pentire) in 2010, Vision And Power (NZ) (Carnegie) in 2009 and Triple Honour (NZ) (Honours List) in 2008.

Since he stepped up to stakes company in the spring with a win in the Listed Seymour Cup (1600m) and a close fourth in the Group One Cantala Stakes (1600m), Mr Brightside had been bubbling along just below the surface with a third in the Listed Elms Handicap (1400m), fourth in the Group Two Blamey Stakes (1600m) and fourth in the A$5m All-Star Mile (1600m).

The Doncaster was always the target, and on Saturday he rose to the occasion and stole the spotlight.

Ridden by Craig Williams, Mr Brightside settled in the first half of the 20-horse field before quickening powerfully in the straight. He launched an irresistible late charge in the final 200 metres, storming home in between I’m Thunderstruck and Icebath to score an impressive win.

Mr Brightside became the first Group One winner for the new Lindsay Park training partnership, which is made up of brothers Ben and JD Hayes.

“With all of the change we’ve had in the past year, with Dad (David Hayes) going to Hong Kong and Tom (Dabernig) leaving the partnership, to get a result like this is just the biggest thrill,” Ben Hayes said.

“Brightside is a special horse to us. He was our first city winner and our first stakes winner in Victoria, and now he is our first Group One winner. He is a special, special horse.

“This has been the long-range plan since he ran fourth in the Cantala Stakes in the spring. It’s just come into place beautifully, and aided by a perfect ride.”

Williams, who has ridden Mr Brightside 11 times for seven victories, was impressed with his mount’s performance on the big stage in Sydney.

“He began much better than he did in his previous two runs this prep, and I was then able to use his natural gate speed and get into a nice position following I’m Thunderstruck,” he said.

“He got knocked off balance at the top of the straight, but then every time I urged him along and asked him to extend, he really responded. For a horse that really wasn’t that comfortable in the heavy ground, it really shows the quality of the horse, and obviously the preparation from Ben and JD Hayes.

“He’s definitely a really exciting Group One weight-for-age horse of the future, because this is only his second preparation, so he’s really exciting.”

Bred and sold by Ray Johnson, Mr Brightside began his career in the Cambridge stable of Ralph Manning, for whom he finished a luckless fifth at Matamata in February of 2021 before being sold privately across the Tasman.

“He was a little bit tricky to get on the track, so he came to us with a few little issues,” Manning told NZ Racing Desk. “We are 1500 metres to the track and train off 20 acres, and we ride them to the track, and it just helps those horses mentally.

“He won his trial really easily for us, and we put Opie (Bosson) on for his debut at Matamata and said ‘he just wins’.

“Full credit to the Hayes brothers. They just picked out the races nicely, going through the grades and placing him well. They have done an amazing job.”

Mr Brightside is out of the unraced mare Lilahjay (NZ) (Tavistock), whose dam is a half-sister to the multiple Group One winner Foxwood (NZ) (Centaine).

Vendor	Phoenix Park
Purchaser	Phill Cataldo Bloodstock
Breeding	Bullbars – Lilahjay
Sale	Lot 159, 2019 Karaka May Sale, $22,000 Lot 39, 2019 Ready to Run Sale, Psd (Res $50,000)
Bred by	R I & Est Late M A G Johnson