Torture (NZ) Kicks Off Career in Style in Debutant Stakes

Well-related filly Torture (NZ) (Sword Of State) made a perfect start to her own career and that of her young sire in Wednesday’s A$200,000 Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield.

It was the raceday debut for the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained filly, who banked A$120,750 in stakes for her syndicate of owners. She was a $250,000 purchase by Lindsay Park Racing and Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock from Curraghmore’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2025.

Torture is the first winner and first stakes winner for Cambridge Stud’s first-season sire Sword Of State, who himself was a Group One winner as a two-year-old and was named New Zealand’s champion juvenile.

Sir Owen Glenn bred Torture out of the stakes-placed mare Ruthless Lady (NZ) (Keeper), who is also the dam of the Group One Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) winner Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock).

Torture was ridden by Ethan Brown on Wednesday and raced just behind the leaders before producing a turn of foot in the straight that none of her eight rivals could match. She kicked clear and went on to win by half a length from her stablemate Free Flying (Snitzel).

“It was nice to run one-two in the race, and to get some black type with a filly is very important,” Ben Hayes said.

“I thought she won very well. She loomed into it and hit the front and did everything right today, so it’s a big thrill for the whole team. Two-year-olds are something that we really enjoy doing.

“She is well-bred and now a stakes winner, so there are a couple of big ticks there and she is a beautiful-looking horse with much more improvement to come, which is exciting.

“For her to come out and win the Debutant probably wasn’t what we were thinking when we bought her, but she just kept improving and kept showing us that she could get there. Her trial leading into this was good and we thought, ‘Why not?’

“She’s a stakes winner now, so maybe a race like the Blue Diamond (Group One, 1200m) could be right up her alley.”

Wednesday’s win made a favourable impression on Brown.

“From that gate (four), I gave her a squeeze to get her into the bridle, she lobbed into a beautiful position and she got up on the bit,” he said.

“I just had to dodge heels there for a bit coming around the corner, but she really flowed into it well. I thought we hit the front a bit soon, but luckily those winkers were on, she kept her focus and was strong through the line.”

Torture completed a black-type double within the space of a few days for Sir Owen Glenn, who also bred Saturday’s Group One Toorak Handicap (1600m) winner Transatlantic (Snitzel).

“Fittingly, he bred this filly’s Group One-winning sire Sword Of State and was keen to support him,” Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham said.

“He is a big supporter of our industry, and he will get great satisfaction from that win. He happily remained in the ownership after she was purchased by Lindsay Park and the mare has a lovely yearling filly by Proisir.”

Another six juveniles by Sword Of State will be offered during NZB’s Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on November 12 and 13.

Vendor	Curraghmore
Purchaser	Lindsay Park Racing/Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) (Victoria)
Breeding	Sword Of State – Ruthless Lady
Sale	Lot 261, Karaka 2025 Book 1, $250,000
Breeder	Go Bloodstock Australia Pty Ltd
Owner	Lindsay Park Bloodstock, Mr J A O'Neill, A K Racing, Go Bloodstock Australia, Australian Chinese Jockey Club Racing 10, Friends of the Dame, Malivale