(Credit: Loveracing.NZ)
While most of the country is ensconced by the gloom of winter, a hint of spring broke through at Ruakaka last Saturday in a region sometimes known as the Winterless North.
The seaside track is the country’s best natural winter surface (as distinct from Ellerslie’s StrathAyr surface) and Saturday presented a Soft 6 rating, ideal for providing a window into early Spring form. Both 1200m events were run in less than 1:12. Refreshingly, the feature was run in bright sunshine.
Although the premier Group 1 Guineas races are a little less than three months away, a number of three-year-olds are gearing up, initiated by the Northland Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) which drew several promising contenders.
Punters needed only to look back two weeks to Ruakaka’s August 1st meeting, held on an identical Soft 6 track, to find the quinella. That day, She’s No Saint (Prague) took out the Breeders’ Stakes Prelude (1100m) by three lengths while Shalabiya (Brazen Beau) won on debut over 1200m by a widening five lengths, both fillies franking that form in the Group 3 event.
She’s No Saint brought back-to-back wins to the party and left with a hattrick, having scored at Ellerslie as a late two-year-old prior to her August 1st Ruakaka success. Those were starts five and six. In January the filly was a sound sixth in the Karaka Millions 2YO (Listed, 1200m).
The Prague (Redoute’s Choice) filly is proving somewhat versatile. She led all the way at Ellerslie but finished strongly from third last in her August 1st win. Saturday, she was pressured in the lead until the top of the straight but, comfortable on her home track, she bounded away from the 200m to launch her black-type career, taking her bank to $132,475.
Longer term, the goal is likely the New Zealand One Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m). “From 1200m to a mile is a big step up,” said trainer Michelle Bradley. “To get today ticked off the bucket list is fantastic. We will see how she comes through it and on to the next race, which will be over 1400m, and we will go from there. One thing I would take out of today is that I would like her to settle a little bit,” said.Bradley.
As a weanling, She’s No Saint fetched $65,000 at the 2024 Wm Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, purchased with a view to pinhooking by Highline Thoroughbreds’ Cam and Eva Heron in conjunction with highly respected agent Paul Moroney. However, at Karaka the filly sold for $55,000.
Her dam Poetic Diva (Poet’s Voice) has been shuffled around from owner to owner. In 11 years she has been offered for sale seven times, first as a yearling at the Magic Million Gold Coast Yearling Sale, realising $80,000. In April this year, weeks before She’s No Saint broke her maiden, Poetic Diva fetched just $600 via Wm Inglis’s April On Line Sale.
From four foals to race She’s No Saint is her sole winner and the sole stakes winner within her first two generations. Poetic Diva’s grandam is Anne Of Saxony (Ela-Mana-Mou), a Group 3 winner at Doncaster whose half sister Accessories (Singspiel) foaled three Australian Group 1 winners: Pericles (Street Boss), sires Helmet (Exceed And Excel) and Epaulette (Commands) plus Mr Brightside’s sire Bullbars (Elusive Quality).
A few firsts
Favourite for the Group 3, second placed Shalabiya (Brazen Beau), took an ambitious step from maiden class to Group 3 level yet handled the jump quite well. While no match for the more experienced winner, Shalabiya did not lose any admirers, finishing doggedly out of the pack to claim her first black-type. A half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Crocetti (Zacinto), himself a winner of this race in 2023, did enough to suggest that she is the real deal, enhancing her value in the process.
At just her third start and fresh up was third placed Silhouette who provided the first black-type for her sire, Mapperley Stud’s Armory (Galileo). The same filly provided Armory his first winner. Silhouette, one of a handful of Armory’s runners, was seen putting in some big strides late and it will be interesting to follow her when the three-year-olds are stretched to 1600m and beyond.
On the Ruakaka undercard Sneaking To Win (Snitzel), domiciled in the Hawke’s Bay region, sired his first winner, Sneaky Cyclone, who landed the Tree Wise Northland Maiden (1600m). The four-year-old gelding had battled away in 13 previous starts which included three placings before his breakthrough. In a tough effort, he took over the lead three deep at the 600m and led the entire straight to score by a length and three-quarters.
Sneaking To Win stands at Te Aute Stud near Hastings. He placed once in three starts, is a son of Champion Sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) and ranks as a half-brother to the outstanding four times Group 1 mare Appearance (Commands).
Moore success
A more typical chilly winter day at Taupo, for the weekend’s second stakes for three-year-olds, was brightened considerably with the addition of Hawea (Hellbent) to the ranks. Starting as a maiden against opponents with some very worthwhile exposed form, the Graham Richardson/Rogan Norvall trained filly made an emphatic statement when taking out the inaugural Chittick Family Fillies Classic (Listed, 1100m).
A clear last at the 600m and last when they made the last corner, Hawea was pulled to the outside by rider Wiremu Pinn. Once balanced she gathered in most of the field but at the 100m she was low flying. Going two-to-one she raced away to a most impressive maiden win and maiden stakes win at just her fourth start. From last to first, her opponents had no excuses. This was special.
“I didn’t expect her to quicken like she did. It did surprise me,” said Pinn, adding: “I thought it was a very dominant win.” Co-trainer Graham Richardson commented: “She came from last and has beaten a good field. She is a very good filly that has had a few problems,” Richardson referring to the filly’s now resolved barrier issues.
Her three starts at two culminated with a distant third behind Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution) in February’s Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1200) before being put aside. Fourth in an August 4th Te Rapa trial was her only outing leading to Taupo.
Richard Moore of Soliloquy Lodge has developed a wonderful family descending from Blue Hen Soliloquy (Sobig), two of which, Natural Fling (Home Affairs) and Hawea, are individual stakes winners 41 and 42 directly connected to Soliloquy. Saturday’s dominant Quezette Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) winner Natural Fling is a great granddaughter of Cross Words (Grosvenor). Hawea is a great-granddaughter of Momentie (Grosvenor).
Cross Words and Momentie are three-quarter sisters, the former from Listed winner Quibble (Ruling) while the latter is from the top class triple Group 1 filly/mare Solveig (Imposing). The next dam is the great Soliloquy. Hardly a year goes by without a new stakes winner from this outstanding line. Including Group 1 winner Soliloquy herself there have been 10 further individual Group 1 winners trace directly to her.
Hawea, a $300,000 graduate of NZB’s 2025 Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 1), is the fourth winner from four to race from Idlewild (Lonhro). The latter’s three quarter sister is Sydney Listed winner Adroitly (Octagonal). A half-sister is Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) victor Caymans (Secret Savings).
Natural Fling, a $550,000 purchase out of the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, is the second of two winners from The Natural (Fastnet Rock), a sister to the dam of 2024 Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner El Castillo (Castelvecchio). The Natural’s half-brother is dual Group 1 winner Fiveanahalfstar (Hotel Grand) while her dam Cryptic Miss (Snippets) was an only foal.
Across the pond
In separate cities, three Kiwi-breds saluted, at Rosehill in Sydney, Caulfield in Melbourne and Belmont Park in Perth. Rosehill’s opener went to Attractiveness (Hello Youmzain) who took her growing record to four wins in nine starts. Unlike her prior win, Saturday’s was hard fought, taking the lead at the top of the straight and refusing to buckle under intense pressure. The $120,000 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 1) purchase is now a back-to-back Rosehill winner and has banked $193.950. Her August 1st win was covered in detail in Kiwi Chronicles’ August 4th issue.
At Caulfield Taka Speed (Savabeel) did best in a good finish to the Benchmark 78 Remembering Diatribe Handicap (2000m). He sat midfield past the 600m and rounding five deep into the 300m straight was ready to pounce. With two to beat at the 200m he grabbed a narrow lead at the 100m then held on well for win five in 15 career starts, banking $200,225.
Unraced at two but a winner on debut at three, Taka Speed landed a hattrick of wins last December and January including at Sandown. Since then his form has been fair if patchy. Now five, he certainly ran out the 2000m now that he has matured.
Taka Speed was catalogued but withdrawn from NZB’s 2023 Karaka Yearling Sale, instead showing up at the 2023 NZB Ready To Run Sale, where he made $300,000 from Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud draft. Taka Speed is one of two winners from Group 3 placed Melbourne winner Toffee Nose (Toorak Toff), The other is also by Savabeel, namely Morphettville winner Savatoff.
He descends from a famous Australian family as his great grandam is a half-sister to $3.2 million earner and four times Group 1 winner Tuesday Joy (Carnegie) as well as Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence). The latter foaled perhaps the best in the family, More Joyous (More Than Ready), an eight-times Group 1 winner.
Over in Perth Starwalker (Sweynesse) took out win four and his earnings beyond $128,000 after a patient ride from Chanel Cooper who, from worse than midfield on the fence, waited for the false rail before diving through from the top of the straight. Once in front, the 6YO then showed great courage to hold out two stiff challengers. Starwalker is the fifth winner and second city winner from Wonderful Mak (No Excuse Needed) who was named Stars Colliding in New Zealand. Skydance (Makfi) also won in Perth, at Ascot.
