By Kelsey Riley
The colours of the Niarchos Family, long a dominant presence in the major races in Europe and America, appeared in the winner's enclosure in Australia for the first time on Friday when 3-year-old filly Dawn Wall (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won a 1550 metre Canterbury maiden at second asking for trainer Chris Waller. Campaigned by the Niarchos Family's Flaxman Stables in partnership with Coolmore and Demi O'Byrne, Dawn Wall was a A$1.3-million purchase from the Coolmore draft at Inglis's Easter Sale in 2015 and was fifth in a Randwick maiden at first asking on Jan. 2. Away from the barriers on even terms with the rest of the six-horse field, jockey Kerrin McEvoy took Dawn Wall to the back of the pack to save ground heading into the bend. Three lengths off her pacesetting stablemate Sepoy Acheva (Aus) (Sepoy {Aus})–who had finished second in Dawn Wall's debut race–at the 600 metre mark, Dawn Wall moved off the fence as the field straightened and kicked into high gear, running down Sepoy Acheva with 100 metres remaining and winning by 2 1/2 lengths under wraps in a time of 1:34.25 (video).
Out of the unraced Mennetou (Ire) (Entrepreneur {GB}), Dawn Wall is a half-sister to the Danehill Dancer (Ire) pair Obama Rule (Ire) and Osaila (Ire), both Group 3 winners in Britain. Dawn Wall's second dam is the champion filly and influential producer Detroit (Fr) (Riverman), a G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner who produced another Arc winner in Carnegie (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). The family also includes New Zealand's legendary sire Zabeel (NZ), as well as G1 Queensland Derby victor Magicool (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Irish Classic winner Roderic O'Connor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), among many other stakes winners. Mennetou has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old full-sister to Dawn Wall named Ejin Horo (Aus), and after coming up barren to that champion sire in 2015, she produced another filly by him last year.
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