Nepotism might have missed out on the Golden Slipper, but the promising two-year-old colt still has a shot at Group 1 success in Sydney this autumn after a commanding victory in the Group 3 Baillieu at Rosehill.
Trained by Michael, John, and Wayne Hawkes, Nepotism showed promise on debut, running third in the Todman Stakes at Randwick on March 8. Despite being an acceptance for the Golden Slipper, he didn’t gain a spot in the March 22 race as second emergency.
Instead, he stepped out for his second career run in Tuesday’s Baillieu (1400m), where jockey Tyler Schiller guided him through traffic before surging clear to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Savvy Hallie, with Tupakara finishing another length behind in third.
Nepotism remains in contention for Saturday’s Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, and Michael Hawkes didn’t dismiss the possibility of backing him up quickly.
With Tuesday’s meeting rescheduled due to wet weather, acceptances for the Sires’ will be taken later that evening, giving the team time to assess their options.
“Backing up in five days was always going to be a challenge for the Sires’, but we haven’t made a final decision,” Hawkes said.
“It will all come down to how he recovers.
“We can put in an acceptance—it costs nothing—so we’ll see how he comes through the run. Now that he’s won, it changes everything.
“He’s still learning and developing, but he’s showing all the signs of a top colt.”
Hawkes also mentioned that the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick later this month is a realistic target, as he believes the step up in distance will suit Nepotism.
Hawkes was especially pleased to see the colt win so convincingly on Tuesday, believing he had been unlucky on debut in the Todman Stakes, where he finished behind Tentyris and eventual Golden Slipper runner-up Wodeton.
“He got caught in traffic that day, Wodeton sprinted past him, and he had to regather himself—but he still hit the line hard,” Hawkes said.
“Today, moving up to 1400 metres wasn’t ideal since he missed his Saturday run, but we kept him ticking over, and Tyler gave him a fantastic ride.
“He was a little slow out, saved ground, and when the gap came, he put them away in style.
“He’s got all the makings of a serious colt.”
