Sledmere Stud sales graduate Evaporate (NZ) registered his maiden Pattern Race success when running out an impressive winner of the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on the Group 1 Manikato Stakes program in Melbourne.
The winner of his previous three outings, two of those at the Moonee Valley circuit, Evaporate (NZ) came through his stiffest test to date with a comprehensive one-and-a-half length win in the $300,000 feature.
Speaking after the victory, winning rider Michael Dee stated: “He’s just stepped up every time. I think I’ve said it every time I’ve won on him, he’s just improved each time he steps out.”
Dee continued: “He went to a new level again tonight and we saw a bit of versatility from him. He would usually go forward, or we planned to go forward tonight, and I didn’t want to be caught up on the fence. I just wanted to give him room and so I elected to drop back a position further back and yeah, he was dominant … he’s really coming to his own now.
“I say it every time I ride him, he improves each time.”
Trained by Ben, Will & JD Hayes, the training partnership was represented in post-race interviews by Will who remarked, “… it’s always difficult to build a picket fence, and that’s what he’s done.
“He’s got a good affinity with The Valley. And I think that win had a lot of credit to it. It was predicted to be a bit of speed, and they didn’t go that quick … for him to circle [the field] and get pushed out wide, and then win quite dominantly — I think he’s just going from strength-to-strength.”
When asked if Evaporate’s next assignment would be the Caulfield Guineas, Will Hayes replied: “I think you’d be mad not to think it.”
Evaporate was bred by Little Avondale Trust in New Zealand and sold on their behalf by Sledmere Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where he fetched $330,000. Following his latest success, the gelding’s race record now reads eight starts for four wins, two seconds for $395,625 in earnings.
Sledmere Stud has now sold two major black-type winning sons of Little Avondale Stud’s outstanding sire Per Incanto in recent seasons. Evaporate’s deeds follow the 2023 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes win of Little Brose.