10,000 reasons for Devil Night to have a shot

BRISBANE – Wayne Hawkes is confident Blue Diamond winner Devil Night will take some beating in the A$1.5 million (S$1.38 million) Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1,200m) on May 16.

The Extreme Choice colt burst onto the scene, becoming the second horse since Redoute’s Choice to win the 2025 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1,200m) at Caulfield at their second start, but has gone winless in seven runs since.

Described as a laid-back, professional colt by Hawkes, who trains in partnership with father John and brother Michael, Devil Night has been in good form this campaign, running third as an 80-1 chance in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1,200m) behind Jigsaw on March 21 before giving star filly Tempted a race in the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint (1,200m) at Randwick on April 11, when last seen.

“He’s going super. His form looks pretty good,” said Hawkes.

“We were tossing between The Goodwood or Queensland for the 10,000, because he was already in Sydney, we didn’t want to bring him all the way to Adelaide.

“When he ran third in the William Reid everyone went ‘oh, he’s going well’ and he was always going well. He’s just never had much luck and that form has stood up very well.

“Then running second to Tempted and everyone’s going, gee this is fair form.”

Devil Night is rated a 7-1 chance in the Doomben 10,000 behind 9-5 favourite Jimmysstar, and as winning an open age Group 1 would be immensely valuable for the Yulong-owned colt, the stable have targeted this race from a long way out.

“He’s just been poking along in Sydney, he’s the best colt. He’s got one of the best attitudes in a colt I’ve ever had,” said Hawkes.

“We have set him for this race, we’ve always had this race in the back of our minds, so it’s not an afterthought.

“Even if some of the races aren’t as strong as others, afterthoughts, most times you don’t win.”

Ben Melham is booked to ride Devil Night, who has drawn barrier 8, but one contender who will not enter the stalls on Saturday is Lady Of Camelot.

The 2025 Golden Slipper winner was scratched after she was stung by a stingray at the beach on May 12. But the real sting in the tail is that Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s mare has now been ruled out of Royal Ascot, with a cloud also hovering over her racing future.

The shock withdrawal has also left connections at the bottom end praying hard in the last 24 hours.

It leaves second favourite Napoleonic still needing one scratching to make the field of 16 for trainer Tom Charlton, while first emergency acceptor Beadman’s connections would be hoping the field undergoes no more changes till Saturday.

James McDonald is on standby to ride Beadman now that the boom colt has secured a start and will jump from barrier No. 1, but the champion jockey must ride Napoleonic if there is another scratching as he was already booked.

Beadman’s trainer Peter Snowden will then need to find another jockey, but he would already be pleased to get another shot at landing a fifth Doomben 10,000 after previous wins with Mazu (2022), Redzel (2017), Epaulette (2013) and Beaded (2011).

“I’m really happy with how Beadman has come through that race and at this stage we are keen to run him in the 10,000,” said Snowden, who enjoyed a prolific association with Darren Beadman, the former champion jockey the Snitzel chestnut is named after, during his tenure as the Inghams’ foreman under John Hawkes’ helm in the 2000s.

“The plan is for James McDonald to be on Beadman as his other ride (Napoleonic) is behind him (second emergency).

“Beadman has always been a colt with a lot of talent and I think this is his chance to win a Group 1 although it is a very good race.

“He handles all track conditions but it would be to his advantage if we happened to get any rain.”

Interestingly, Beadman, the ex-jockey, now works for the powerful Chris Waller team and will instead have his eyes glued on their sole Doomben 10,000 runner, long shot Private Harry. RACING AND SPORTS