Headwater 3yo filly Honey Dew landed in the sweet spot for former AFL footballers Peter Sumich and Brad Hardie in the Morley Growers Market Hcp (1200m) in Perth on Wednesday.
Trainer Jim Taylor gave her part-owners the option of scratching after she drew barrier 20 when weights were released but they went ahead and she firmed from $17 into $11 before overcoming the odds to score by a length from Nobel Knight (Alfred Nobel).
Sumich was a pivotal goal-sneak for West Coast Eagles in their 1992 and 1994 flags and Hardie won a Brownlow Medal with Footscray in 1985. They’re both South Fremantle juniors and Honey Dew carried the Bulldogs red and white colours to victory at Belmont.
“I told the boys she would do it tough from out there but they told us to have a crack,” trainer Jim Taylor revealed. “It was a great ride by Shaun (O’Donnell). She settled three-wide but with cover and it was a good performance.”
Honey Dew (3f Headwater – Tej by Bernardini) had won a Northam maiden soon after arriving in WA earlier this year. She was bred by Vinery partner Steve McCann (Encompass International) and sold for $26,000 through the Vinery consignment at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Her dam is an unraced half-sister to Geelong Classic LR winner Solemn (Bernardini) and there’s a WA link a generation further back through the Laranto-sired sisters La Volta (SAJC Australasian Oaks Gr.1) and Terevega (WATC Gimcrack Stakes LR).
“She can be a hard-going type and she jumped much better than I wanted but we got some cover and switched off,” O’Donnell reported. “There was a lot of horse underneath me when she presented and it was a good win.”
Headwater can continue his winning run with boom 3YO Inundation at Caulfield this Saturday. He has opened a $1.60 favourite in Race 5 and Headwater’s Stakes winning mare Mileva can make it a double later in the day in the Sir John Monash Stakes Gr.3 at The Heath.
Headwater (Exceed And Excel) stands at Vinery for a $16,500 (inc GST) service fee and he is Australia’s leading active stallion in the third-crop categories for individual winners (72) and wins (106) this season. For bookings or further information, please contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).
