Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Romanee Conti has been a pillar of Pencarrow’s broodmare band for decades, and her lineage continues to go from strength-to-strength, with her descendant Tomodachi adding to that legacy over the weekend.
The daughter of Tarzino carried owner-breeder Sir Peter Vela’s familiar silks to victory in the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m), her first victory at stakes level following five previous wins, and a last start placing in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m).
Pencarrow Stud Manager Leon Casey was rapt with Saturday’s result, and believes the best is yet to come from the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained mare.
“It was tremendous. She has always shown a lot of talent, and to get that black-type result is great,” Casey said.
“She probably just needs a bit more ringcraft. She ended up having quite a big break during the spring, she had a little setback. She has just done so well in the autumn and improved with the racing.
“She will have a bit of a break now and try to add to it in the spring.”
Casey said Tomodachi has a strong resemblance to her fourth dam Romanee Conti, who was Group One-placed on the track, and raced in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Australia, but is most known for being the dam of Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (2400m) and Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) heroine Ethereal, Tomodachi’s third dam.
“She (Tomodachi) is out of Quintessentially, who won three, but did show a lot of talent,” Casey said. “Her dam was Uberalles, who placed in a Derby (Gr.1, 2400m), then it’s Ethereral and then Romanee Conti. It doesn’t get any more Pencarrow than that.
“It is getting a fair way back, but she does remind me of Romanee Conti in type and her ability to accelerate. I don’t know whether genes get that far, but it looks like they have.”
While Tomodachi is currently flying the family flag, another member of the family is set to kick-off their career in the Pencarrow silks at Matamata on Wednesday.
Supremely, a daughter of Group One performer Supera, will make her debut in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m) after winning a 800m trial at Pukekohe last month.
She is also a direct descendant of Romanee Conti and Ethereal, who are her third and fourth dams, and Casey is hoping she too has inherited the family ability.
“She has shown some ability at home and has trialled nicely,” Casey said of the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained filly. “They (Kelsos) haven’t done a lot with her, but they have liked everything they have seen from her.
“She did well to handle that track (Heavy 10) that she trialled on and won reasonably comfortably in the end. Everybody is happy so far, but raceday is another step up, but we are hoping.
“We will be following her very closely and hopefully the track holds up for her. We welcome every good member from that family.”
