Nepotism shows class in Baillieu Handicap win

Nepotism may have missed his chance in the Golden Slipper, but the talented two-year-old colt made a strong statement with an impressive victory in the Group 3 Baillieu at Rosehill, keeping his Group 1 ambitions alive this autumn.

Prepared by the training partnership of Michael, John, and Wayne Hawkes, Nepotism kicked off his career with a third-place finish in the Todman Stakes at Randwick on March 8. Although he was an official acceptor for the Golden Slipper, he was listed as second emergency and did not gain a start in the March 22 feature.

Instead, he made the most of his opportunity in Tuesday’s Baillieu (1400m), producing a smart turn of foot under jockey Tyler Schiller. The son of Brutal threaded his way through the field before finishing strongly to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Savvy Hallie, with Tupakara another length away in third.

With a nomination for Saturday’s Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, trainer Michael Hawkes didn’t rule out the possibility of backing up quickly.

The meeting was initially scheduled for last Saturday but was postponed due to wet conditions, meaning acceptances for the Sires’ will be taken on Tuesday evening.

“Turning around in five days for the Sires’ was always going to be a tough ask, but we’re keeping our options open,” Hawkes said.

“It all depends on how he pulls up.

“We can accept today—it doesn’t cost anything—so we’ll assess how he recovers. Winning today has certainly changed the landscape for him.

“He’s still maturing, still figuring things out, but he’s definitely an exciting colt for the future.”

The Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick later this month remains a strong possibility, with Hawkes confident that the colt will enjoy stepping up in trip.

Having felt Nepotism was slightly unlucky on debut in the Todman Stakes—where he finished behind Tentyris and Golden Slipper runner-up Wodeton—Hawkes was pleased to see him show his true ability on Tuesday.

“In the Todman, he got caught up a little bit, and when Wodeton sprinted past him, he had to pick himself up—but he still found the line well,” Hawkes said.

“Today, stepping up to 1400 metres wasn’t ideal after missing Saturday’s race, but we kept him ticking over, and Tyler gave him a great ride.

“He jumped a little slowly, but he saved ground, got the right run, and when the opportunity came, he put them away nicely.

“He’s got all the makings of a top colt.”