Leebaz (NZ) Breaks Through Million-Dollar Barrier with Hollindale Stakes Win

Karaka graduate Leebaz (NZ) (Zabeel) passed A$1 million in earnings when he scored an upset win in Saturday’s A$350,000 Group 2 Jaguar F-Pace A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast.

The six-year-old gelding was stepping down in class after contesting the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick last month.

One of the outsiders of the field at $31, Leebaz raced in a handy position for most of the race before taking control in the straight to beat Hauraki (Reset) by a length. Fellow Karaka graduate Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ) (Tavistock) produced a big late run out wide to finish third.

Leebaz has now had 28 starts for nine wins, six placings and A$1.08 million in prize-money. This was his fourth stakes win.

“There were excuses when he ran in the Queen Elizabeth,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said. “They really hammered him in the lead. He ended up second last and the other leader ran last.

“At his previous start he won the Easter Cup at Caulfield and that was a better guide. He is a tough old gelding in form, so he is here for the Doomben Cup in a fortnight.”

Leebaz is out of the stakes-winning and Group 1-placed mare Polish Princess (Polish Precedent), the dam of three winners from three foals to race. Her other foals include the Group 2 winner and Group 1 placegetter Polish Knight (Encosta De Lago).

Leebaz was bred by Windsor Park Stud and is raced by G P I Racing, D V Russo, P J Duggan, Brian Carroll Investments and B & G McAlister.