Cover image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Ellerslie: G1 NZ Derby, NZ$1,000,000, 2400m
Sydney bound after this dominant victory in smart time, Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) was quite simply superior to her rivals in every way!
One of the 141 stakes winners - and the 33rd Group 1 winner - for her Waikato Stud-based sire, she is the first live foal for her Group 3-placed, four-times-winning dam Symphonic (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) who foaled another Savabeel filly last spring - again served by him.
Symphonic is out of a half-sister to the G1 Ellerslie Sires' Produce S. winner Good Faith (NZ) (Straight Strike {USA}), dam of the stakes winners Tully Dane and Mygoodgrace (Royal Academy {USA}).
Symphonic's dam is also the grandam of last weekend's G3 Matamata Slipper winner Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel).
Other members of this prolific family include the Group 1 gallopers Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}) and Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) who won the G2 Blamey S. at Flemington later in the day.
G3 King's Plate, NZ$150,000, 1200m
Down in class off a somewhat unlucky Group 1 fifth and a fast-finishing Group 2 third, Maria Farina (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) was in good form recording her third win at stakes level and her first in Group company.
One of the nine stakes winners for her Mapperley Stud-based, dual Group 1-winning sire - a son of High Chaparral (Ire) - she is a homebred for D R & L M Weatherley and B W P Wright.
Her two times winning metropolitan-placed dam La Vitesse (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) is also the dam of the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner Pier (NZ) (Proisir).
Served last spring by Satono Aladdin (Jpn) after foaling a Proisir colt - and the year before that a full sister to Maria Farina - La Vitesse is out of the dual Group winner Naturo (NZ) (Postponed {USA}) whose five foals to race have all been winners including the stakes-placed Orutan (NZ) (Pins) and O'Naturelle (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}).
This is also the family of the Group 1 gallopers Sweet Idea (Snitzel), Booming (NZ) (Don Eduardo {NZ}) and Electronic (NZ) (First Norman {USA}) as well as Arrowfield's promising young stallion Showtime.
Maria Farina boasts a pedigree with considerable female strength - within seven generations line-bred to Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}), Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) and Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}).
G3 Sunline Vase, NZ$150,000, 2100m
Kicking up gamely along the inside to salute at double-figure odds, Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) was strong to the line over the 2100 metres, a nice lead-up run to the G1 New Zealand Oaks.
Bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan, and P J Walker, she was sold by Woburn Park to B Kwok for NZ$160,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
She is the 13th stakes winner for her Cambridge Stud-based sire, also sire of the runner-up Qali Al Farrasha (NZ).
Her dam is the Group 1-placed Listed winner Pussy O'Reilly (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) whose stakes-placed dam Octapussy (Octagonal {NZ}) also produced the G3 Challenge S. winner Pussy Willow (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) and the Listed Poseidon S. winner Inside Agent (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}).
Octapussy is out of the Group 2 mare Dopff (NZ) (Tights {USA}) who has proven to be quite the matriarch with 13 stakes-winning descendants including the Group winners Zourion (NZ) (Zoustar), Pearl Of Alsace (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), Valpolicella (NZ) (Red Ransom {USA}), Vavasour (NZ) (Redoute's Choice), Vilanova (Commands), Celebrity Dream (NZ) (Thorn Park) and Matchbreaker (NZ) (Makfi {GB}).
Served last spring by Sword Of State, Pussy O'Reilly foaled a Shocking colt last spring having missed the previous season - her 2021 filly being a daughter of Savabeel.
G3 Mufhasa S., NZ$150,000, 1400m
Showing good heart getting up in the final strides, Certainly (NZ) (Savabeel) looks a filly on the up with this win - her first at stakes level - coming at only her fifth start.
A Waikato Stud homebred, she is the 141st stakes winner for their stalwart stallion Savabeel and the second for the four-time winner Frankly (NZ) (Pins) who has also produced the Victorian-trained dual Listed winner Ocean Beyond (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).
A full sister to the Listed QTC Lightning H. winner Keano (NZ), Frankly is out of O'Really (NZ) (Centaine) - a half-sister to O'Reilly (NZ) and ancestress of the dual Group 1 winner Madison County (NZ) (Pins) and fellow stakes winners Take The Rap (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}) and Pinzu (NZ) (Pins).
O'Really's dam is the G1 Golden Slipper S. and G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Courtza (NZ) (Pompeii Court {USA}) whose Group 2-winning dam Hunza (NZ) (Pakistan {GB}) produced another four stakes winners including the triple Group 1 winner Our Pompeii (NZ) (Pompeii Court {USA}).
Hunza's other descendants including the Group 1 gallopers Grunt (NZ), Critic (NZ) (Centaine) and Ocean Park. Certainly is the 18th stakes winner (from 111 winners/145 runners) by Savabeel out of a daughter of Pins.
Wingatui: Listed Otago Breeders' S., NZ$80,000, 1400m
Overcoming interference in the straight from a riderless horse, Drakaina (NZ) (Ace High) was impressive shooting clear to an easy win - her first at stakes level at her fifth start.
Bred by The Oaks Stud, she is the second stakes winner for her Rich Hill Stud-based, G1 VRC Derby and G1 Spring Champion S. winning sire.
Her dam is the juvenile winner Justa Secret (NZ) (Sakhee's Secret {GB}), also dam of the two times Moonee Valley winner No Secret (NZ) (Niagara). Served last spring by U S Navy Flag (USA) after producing an Eminent (Ire) colt and the year before a Reliable Man (GB) colt, Justa Secret is out of the G1 Levin Classic winner Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper) - also dam of the Listed winner Espresso Martini (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
And this is also the family of the great mare Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}) whose grandson Storm Boy won the G2 Skyline S. just minutes before.
