Break Out Season for Not A Single Doubt

While Not A Single Doubt looks likely to come up short in the race for the champion sires title for the 2015-16 racing year, it is the season he emerged from the shadow of his sire Redoute's Choice and paternal half-brother Snitzel at Arrowfield Stud.

Not a Single Doubt had just one Group 1 winner on the board when the season commenced in August last year, the Blue Diamond Stakes heroine Miracles Of Life.

He doubled that total when the Chris Waller-trained Good Project took out the WATC Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in November.

One of the star two-year-olds of the season has been the Mick-Price-trained Extreme Choice who became the third Group 1 winner for Not A Single Doubt when he strolled home in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

Nothing panned out for the chestnut in the Golden Slipper in which he started a short-priced favourite. After missing the start he continually ran into traffic problems so his eighth place finish was full of merit.

Newgate Farm has purchased an interest in Extreme Choice who looks to be a major player in sprint races next season.

The Nick Olive-trained filly Single Gaze made it four Group 1 winners for Not A Single Doubt when Kathy O'Hara guided the diminutive filly to victory in the ATC Storm Queen Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 28.

But that is only part of the Not A Single Doubt story, which really began with one of his stars of the season, Fell Swoop.

The Matthew Dale-trained gelding earned his first stakes win in the Listed Cup Club Stakes at Moonee Valley last September.

He backed it up a fortnight later by winning the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes at Caulfield before heading for a spell.

Fell Swoop returned in the New Year with a fighting second behind Flamberge in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield in February.

A return back to NSW resulted in a fourth in the Group 1 The Galaxy before having to play second fiddle in a Group 1 once again when run down by the world-class sprinter Chautauqua in the TJ Smith Stakes on the opening day of The Championships at Randwick on April 2.

That day at Royal Randwick was also responsible for one of the feel-good stories of the year.

Scone trainer Greg Bennett fought to get his star pupil Clearly Innocent to the start of the $388,000 The Country Championship Final after the son of Not A Single Doubt came down with a stone bruise.

Under a patient ride by Tommy Berry, Clearly Innocent came from second last with a barnstorming finish to win running away by two and a half lengths.

Another honest performer for Not A Single Doubt has been the Mick Price-trained filly Secret Agenda who broke through for a Stakes win in the Group III Red Roses Stakes at Flemington on Victorian Oaks day.

Yet another 3-year-old filly Don't Doubt Mamma has been a consistent performer for Tony McEvoy. She won the Listed Desirable Stakes and the Group III Vanity Stakes at Flemington.

On the same day Good Project earned his Group 1, Not A Single Doubt's daughter Let It Slip captured the Listed WATC Placid Ark Stakes at Ascot.

The Les Bridge-trained gelding Southern Legend becomes the 33rd stakes-winner for Not A Single Doubt when he captured the Listed The Sebring (Darby Munro) Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on March 19.

He contributed to his sire fleetingly heading the sire's title, which only came to an end when Street Cry's champion daughter Winx went on a Group 1 rampage.

Not A Single Doubt's success has been recognised in the sales ring with his two highest priced yearling coming this year, Arrowfield's colt out of Colorado Claire making $850,000 to the bid of James Harron and another Arrowfield product, a filly out of Miss Sharapova, bringing $650,000 to the bid of Tim Stakemire.

Two of Not A Single Doubt's best daughters, Villa Verde and Miracles of Life were sold for $1.1 million and $900,000 respectively.