Two Group 1 races down for the new season and both have fallen to sons of Not A Single Doubt, the latest being the resurgent Scales Of Justice in Saturday's $1 million New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Last week Samadoubt scored a shock win in the Winx Stakes. It was less of a surprise on Saturday as Scales Of Justice added the Memsie Stakes to his Group 1 win in the 2016 Railway Stakes.
Given a sweet ride by Dean Yendall, Scales Of Justice had the run of the race just off the speed as several of his more high profile opponents were well back in the field.
So Si Bon (So You Think) backed up his win in the Aurie's Star with a fighting second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, with Alizee (Sepoy) coming from the tail of the field to be a nose back in second with stablemate Hartnell in fourth. (images Grant Courtney)
"He had a superior run through the race, they went a solid tempo, I produced him early like I did when I rode him here first-up (in the Bletchingly) and let him rip for me and I thought 'I hope they don't get near me'," Yendall told racing.com.
"At the 100 they were sort of closing in but he fought them off really easily."
The winner the Group III Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 27, Scales Of Justice looked a touch disappointing when run down by the three-year-old Dalasan in the Group III Spring Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on August 17 but trainer Lindsay Smith was having none of it.
"I thought his run in Adelaide wasn't bad, I gave the wrong instructions, that's why I was the worse jockey in the world. I got involved when I should have left it to Dean," Smith said.
"He's had a lot of people help him, we all need help, from the vets to the farriers to Matty and the team at home and the team at Warrnambool they have all done a remarkable job and I am just the lucky person to be here today.
With his sixth stakes victory and second Group 1, Scales Of Justice advances his overall record to 11 wins, 9 seconds and 3 thirds from 26 starts with earnings of$2,162,850.
Bred by Gerard and Kathy Hammond, Scales Of Justice was consigned to the 2014 Inglis Premier Yearling sale by Milford Thoroughbreds where he was knocked down to Boomer Bloodstock/Lindsey Smith for $180,000.
A half-brother to three winners including the stakes-placed Cruyfforme (Johan Cruyff), Scales Of Justice is the sixth live foal of the unraced Umatilla mare Beymatilla, a half-sister to the stakes-placed Rancho Rose and to the dam of Group III VRC Standish Handicap winner King Hoaks (King Charlemagne).
Beymatilla was consigned to the 2014 Great Southern Bloodstock Sale where she could not make her paltry $400 reserve but she did not have a live foal after Scales Of Justice and was pensioned after missing to Magnus in 2015.
Mark Smith
