Havatryst rendezvous at Randwick

Woodside Park sire Foreplay has been a revelation this season and Havatryst can continue his winning run in the AJC Barry Maher Memorial at Randwick on Saturday.

Havatryst (3g Foreplay – Conjugality by Groom Dancer) hails from Queensland and he was an impressive winner at headquarters on Boxing Day.  It was his third win from as many starts after priors at Eagle Farm in September.

Trainer Barry Baldwin brought him south chasing good weather and enough prizemoney to qualify for the Queensland winter carnival.  “He took a while to settle in,” Baldwin revealed.  “But he’s kept improving since that first-up win and is a good chance on Saturday.”

The Boxing Day win improved Foreplay’s strike rate to 16 winners of 29 races so far this season.  They have earned over $922,000 which puts him in second spot behind Storming Home on the Australian second-season sires’ premiership.

Darley’s NZ shuttler is on top with $1.01 million and his G1 Victoria Derby winner Lion Tamer accounts for 100% of that total.

Foreplay’s record is all the more remarkable because he has been represented by just 34 starters this season.  Third placed Snitzel is running third with the benefit of 43 starters ahead of Stratum (86 starters) and Hidden Dragon (65 starters).

His black-type strike-rate is just as impressive.  Leading the charge is Decision Time (G2 AJC Stan Fox Stakes) followed by Playcidium Mint (G3 WATC Lee Steere Stakes) and That’s Not It (G3 MVRC Red Anchor Stakes).

Foreplay’s other feature winner is Playtime who won the $110,000 Rockhampton Breeders’ Plate on debut.  She also won at Eagle Farm last month and rates a good each-way chance in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on January 15.

Foreplay (Danehill) transferred to Woodside Park last year after fertility issues hindered his stud career in the Hunter Valley.  Subsequent stem cell treatment has improved his fertility in Victoria.

Havatryst was bred and sold by Rheinwood Pastoral for $17,000 at the 2009 Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale.  His dam Conjugality visited Stratum without luck for the next three years but Rheinwood owner Ray Willis reports the mare is in foal to Foreplay’s three-quarter brother Time Thief.

Rheinwood has a draft of five colts and two fillies entered for this year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions and the star of the draft is the Magic Albert brother to GI winner Albert the Fat (Lot 646).

Woodside Park has seven yearlings catalogued for the Magic Millions.  Bloodstock manager Dean Harvey predicts the Fastnet Rock – Lady Girona colt will be popular.  “He’s a head turner and has attracted a lot of attention from agents and trainers who have done farm inspections,” Harvey said of Lot 280.  “His grand dam Londolozi has a smart type named Zakumi with Tim Martin.”

Harvey also rates the Charge Forward – Reserve colt highly.  Catalogued as Lot 462, he is a very precocious colt from a lovely running family.