The Mark Kavanagh trained colt Khalifa gave BC3 and Sovereign Thoroughbreds reason to smile with a winning debut in the Chisholm Petroleum Plate (1000m) at Geelong on Friday.
Khalifa (2c Barely A Moment – Ask No Questions by Regal Classic) was giving the leaders a conservative six lengths start entering the straight but reeled in his rivals to score comfortably. The big striding chestnut defeated odds-on favourite Strato Mostro (Stratum) by more than two lengths
Bred by Tracey Knotts at Sovereign Thoroughbreds in WA, Khalifa sold to BC3 for $57,000 at the 2010 Perth Magic Millions. He was subsequently passed in with a reserve of $115,000 at the BC3 Ready to Run sale and now runs under the ownership of BC3 manager Bill Vlahos.
Khalifa is from Barely A Moment’s second crop of juveniles which also includes the stakes performers Zest a Second (Morphettville) and Awakened (Singapore).
Barely A Moment stands at Cornerstone Stud and his current three year-olds are progressing nicely with Silver Moment (Morphettville), Demon Queen (Northam), Zip In Time (Gawler) Edge Of Time (Seymour) and Daylight’s Dauphin (Balaklava) all saluting in the last three weeks.
Like Khalifa, Barely A Moment (Gilded Time) was bred in WA where De Grey Stud owner Dick Vincent sold him to Lindsay Park agent Mark Pilkington at the 2003 Perth Magic Millions.
Barely A Moment won the G1 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and returned as a spring three year-old for a string of seconds in the Ascot Vale Stakes, Caulfield Guineas and Sandown Guineas.
He more that made up for that frustrating preparation at four with back-to-back G1 victories in the Dubai Racing Club Cup and Toorak Handicap at Caulfield.
Barely a Moment’s first crop are developing along similar lines and one would expect them to peak in the ensuing months.
Khalifa is a half-brother to Perth winner Quiz Time (Danetime) and he has younger half-brothers by WA based sires Hurricane Sky and He’s a Decoy back home at Sovereign Thoroughbreds.
Their dam Ask No Questions hails from a Heytesbury Stud family going back to Group 1 miler Chanteclair (Haulpak).
Barely A Moment will stand for a $6,050 service fee at Cornerstone Stud this year.