A start in the Coolmore Stud Stakes is next for Formality following her brilliant win in the Group 3 $350,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield today.

Formality, above, beats Jukebox in the Blue Sapphire Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Lindsay Park co-trainer David Hayes said that Formality will join stablemates Catchy and Tulip in the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 4.

“She can have a clash with Tulip and Catchy,” Hayes said.

“She really is a good filly. It is so nice to have these good three year old fillies to train right on.”

In-form jockey Kerrin McEvoy, fresh off riding Redzel to victory in the $10m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick last Saturday, positioned Formality ($5) right behind the leader Crown Witness and claimed the front when heads were turned form home.

Runner up Jukebox ($4.20) challenged hard in the straight but Formality was able to hold onto a long neck advantage on the line with the $31 outsider Lone Eagle running on for third.

Crown Witness ($3.80 favourite) battled on in the straight after leading to finish fourth.

“Today we just told Kerrin, he is in such good form, we just said just let her go under her steam, if they want to go hard follow them, if they want to walk lead,” Hayes said.

Hayes, who trains in partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, had high praise for the runner up Jukebox, but said that Formality had freshened up great following her hard run when eleventh to Trapeze Artist in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on September 23.

“Jukebox is a very good colt,” Hayes said.

“She (Formality) had a gut buster in the Golden Rose. We elected to go forward and unfortunately the rest of the field did in Sydney and to bounce back off of that hard run there is superb.”

“It really takes a tough filly and she freshened up beautifully.”

Today’s win was Formality’s fifth from nine starts and took her winning prizemoney to $795,700.