Nepotism, the promising two-year-old colt with strong family ties to the legendary Black Caviar, produced a stunning last-to-first victory in the Champagne Stakes at Randwick on Saturday, confirming his potential as a future star.
Trained by the Hawkes partnership of Michael, John, and Wayne, Nepotism added a Group 1 title to his name just weeks after impressing in the Group 3 Baillieu (1400m). Under the guidance of jockey Tyler Schiller, the colt stormed down the outside late in the 1600m feature, snatching the win in the final strides.
Sent out as the $3.90 favourite, Nepotism narrowly edged out Within The Law ($4.80) by a head, with Tupakara ($16) finishing a close third, only a short half-head further back, in a tight and thrilling finish.
By 2019 Doncaster Mile winner Brutal and out of Brigite—herself a half-sister to the great Black Caviar and a full sibling to All Too Hard—Nepotism carries elite bloodlines. Black Caviar, unbeaten in 25 career starts, left a lasting legacy in Australian racing, while All Too Hard collected four Group 1 wins for the Hawkes team.
Michael Hawkes was thrilled with the colt’s performance in what was just his third career outing.
“He’s just a proper horse,” Hawkes said.
“When he was out the back, they were running along and I was just thinking, ‘wow, are they going hard enough?’
“The only thing I said to Tyler was, ‘you’re going to have to slice and dice and try to come up through them. He came around the corner and I thought, ‘is he going to get there?’
“But he’s just blistering. He’s got an exceptional turn of foot.
“Last to first, unbelievable.”
Hawkes also acknowledged the patience shown by the ownership group, who waited for the colt to make his debut in the Todman Stakes in March. Now a Group 1 winner, Nepotism’s value as a stallion prospect has risen significantly.
“His win in the Baillieu was just outstanding,” Hawkes said.
“I just love making colts. It’s just one thing we just love doing.”
The Champagne Stakes victory marks the Hawkes stable’s third Group 1 win for the autumn, following Devil Night’s triumph in the Blue Diamond Stakes and Briasa’s victory in the TJ Smith Stakes.
Schiller, who expertly navigated from last to first, had to make a tactical move at the 300-metre mark to secure a clear path down the outside.
“Michael said don’t loop them because he can’t win if you do from the 600m,” Schiller explained.
“So I was waiting to cut the corner but Federalist was going nowhere in front of us.
“It was an incredible win. I felt like he peaked at the 100m but he just had that tenacity to win.”
