Astley’s win sure to create sale interest

Lot No.54 at the upcoming Inglis Thoroughbred Sale has assured himself a new home.

The Godolphin-owned Astley broke through for his maiden win in the Hyland Race Colours Plate at Sandown on Wednesday and is listed for auction in Melbourne on Friday.

David Charles, Melbourne foreman John O’Shea, said Astley would be a good buy.

Astley is one of 11 horses Godolphin has entered in the sale.

“John’s always making opinions of where the horses should go, what their value is and sometimes some have to move on,” Charles said.

“It’s not often we take them to a sale from the races like this, but John’s made a decision that he’s going to move him on.

“He won very well today. He’s got a great constitution and whoever buys him will have a lot of fun with him.”

After a double at Moonee Valley on Friday night and a quartet at Pakenham on Saturday, the Lindsay Park stable has continued its winning ways in city grade races with a Sandown treble.

Ben Hayes, who trains in partnership with his father David and cousin Tom Dabernig, was in charge at Sandown as the stable he oversees in Adelaide is currently light on numbers.

Hayes said it was great to be home in Melbourne where he will be a part of the stable until the New Year.

He will join his training partners on the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions carnival and sales with the stable likely to have a team of six runners at the $10 million race day on January 14 before returning to Adelaide.

Their Wednesday winners were Invictum Domina, Fast Tycoon and New Summer Night.

Lightly-raced German import Plein Ciel kept his unbeaten Australian record intact at the meeting, scoring a 3-1/4 length win in the Ladbrokes Up For The Challenge Handicap.

Trained by Darren Weir, Plein Ciel won a Warrnambool maiden at his Australian debut and jockey Ben Allen said while the four-year-old was still green, he expecteds him to graduate to better company.

Terry O’Sullivan landed his first metropolitan double in three years courtesy of Prestbury Park and Castle Hackett who were both ridden by Declan Bates.