WINNER: Tolaga Bay Hangs Tough

Resuming on the right note and now unbeaten in two starts, Tolaga Bay (3 f Alabama Express – Camila Lucinda, by Lope de Vega) won the A$50,000 Sportsbet BlackBook Benchmark 64 1300 metres on 2 September at Sandown (Melbourne).  Tolaga Bay provided the third win from three presented in four days by Te Akau trainer Mark Walker, after Astari (Starspangledbanner) won on Sunday at Echuca, and Sheanadh (Night Of Thunder) delivered fresh-up on Tuesday at Wodonga.

Having recorded a stylish debut win over 1200 metres in her sole start as two-year-old, Tolaga Bay signaled readiness to resume when closing strongly for second in a jump out on 17 August at Cranbourne, with Kiwi jockey Michael Dee aboard, and the pair combined again on race day.

Ridden positively to situate outside the leader in a small field, Tolaga Bay travelled sweetly before quickening to advantage mid-straight and had both the fortitude and momentum to see off equal favourite Somethings Burnin’ (Too Darn Hot), who arrived too late after being pocketed.

It was a lovely ride by Dee, to effectively help control the pace from his vantage point before letting the good-sized filly work through her gears and only asked to extend over the final 200 metres. 

“She’d trialled up enormous on soft ground, but she’s handled on top of the ground today. She absolutely flew and she had the race in keeping a long way from home. 

“She got to the front, had a look around, and it got a bit tight there late, but she had plenty more to offer. 

“She’s got a lovely big action and strides along, but probably better chasing. She’s got great ability and definitely going to go on with it now.”

Paraded in terrific condition, Tolaga Bay ran 1300 metres in 1:18.9, last 600m in 33.9, on Soft5 footing and paid $4.30 & $1.80 on the NZ TAB tote.

“It was a really good fresh-up performance to win like she did and good to see the tactical speed she showed to get up outside the leader and relax so well,” Walker said. “It was only a small field, but also a good field.

“It was a good ride of Mick’s (Dee). She had a good kick at the end and she’ll improve a lot, so it’s quite exciting, especially once we get her to a mile.

“When we first saw her at the Classic Sale, we loved the fact that she was out of a Lope de Vega mare and she’s a big, scopey, filly, which is why we only ran her once as a two-year-old.

“She’s an exciting filly and she’s got it all ahead of her.”

Purchased by Sir David Ellis and Fortuna Racing (Mgr: John Galvin) for $100,000 at the 2025 Inglis Classic Sale, from the draft of Yulong Stud, she is owned by Fortuna Tolaga Bay Syndicate.

By C F Orr Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) winner and proven Group One producing sire Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice), the sire of Te Akau stakes winner Discretion Rules and most notably quadruple Group One winner (1400m – 2500m) Treasurethe Moment, Tolaga Bay is out of four-time sprint winner Camila Lucinda (Lope de Vega).

Tolaga Bay kept alive a smart producing record by Camila Lucinda, with each of her three foals now winners, including Perfect Beth (Grunt) and Bama Slama (Alabama Express). 

Dam sire Lope de Vega (Shamardal) is a fantastic influence, along with having Redoute’s Choice and the Danehill sire line. A Champion Sire, Lope de Vega shuttled for four seasons from Ireland to Australia, is the sire of 25 individual Group One winners among 169 stakes winners, and not only a sire of sires, but also a great broodmare sire with 34 stakes winners from his daughters. 

Following her debut win as a two-year-old, Galvin said the stable had a high opinion of Tolaga Bay and given her physicality as a “big, strong, powerful filly” that she should continue improving as a three-year-old.

Galvin said that following a conversation with the trainer after the win today, Tolaga Bay would aim towards the A$1.5 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) on 17 October at Caulfield, via either the A$300,000 Group 2 Manhari Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on 19 September at Caulfield, or the A$175,000 Listed Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m) on Sunday 27 September at Caulfield. 

“It was a lovely result and very pleasing that she’s now two for two,” Galvin said.

“She’d done everything right since resuming training and she’d got the better of Seize The Day in a track gallop last week at Cranbourne, so we were expecting a reasonable result.

“Mark (Walker) has a strong opinion of her and although we won’t get ahead of ourselves, she looks to be well up there and now deserves a crack at black type.

“We think a mile in the spring should be ideal at this stage, but the stoutness in the pedigree indicates she could get further and develop into a 2000-metre filly in the autumn.”

Galvin also pointed out that in addition to the two wins providing over A$80,000 in stake earnings, Tolaga Bay had received VOBIS bonuses in each of her wins to the tune of A$36,400. 

Meanwhile, Fortuna Racing owned stable-mate Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution), an unbeaten Group One winning two-year-old last season in New Zealand, is scheduled to contest the A$175,000 Listed Michael Moroney (1400m) on 12 September at Flemington. 

Tolaga Bay was strapped by Hailey Morton.