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The opening leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series at Riccarton on Saturday turned into a coming-of-age moment for talented northern raider One Kiss (NZ) (Tivaci).
The Mark Walker-trained filly went into the $65,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) with only one previous start under her belt – a seventh placing in a maiden race at Taupo on August 24. But she has always been held in high regard by her connections, and now it is easy to see why.
One Kiss was the chosen mount of Te Akau Racing's stable rider Opie Bosson, who also had the option of partnering the multiple Group Two placegetter I Choose You (I Am Invincible). He opted for promise over proven performance, and his decision paid off in spades.
Breaking fairly from the extreme outside gate, One Kiss took up a midfield position – four off the rail but with cover – as Rhonda Wood (NZ) (Redwood) and Decision Time (NZ) (Time Test) showed the way out in front until the home turn.
Bosson edged out into clear running at the 300-metre mark, and One Kiss quickly lengthened stride and swept forward out wide on the track.
She sprinted to a clear lead with 150 metres remaining, and kept going strongly enough to keep herself out of the reach of the fast-finishing Perfectly Suited (NZ) (Savile Row) and Kikimora (NZ) (Shamexpress). One Kiss scored by three-quarters of a length.
"She's a really progressive sort of filly, and that was a good effort to win a stakes race second-up," Walker said.
"It was a lovely ride by Opie, and she's still got improvement to come as we look at a possible tilt at the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) here during Cup Week in November."
One Kiss is raced by her breeder, Lib Petagna's JML Bloodstock, and is a half-sister to the Listed winner and Group Three-placed Santa Catarina (NZ) (Savabeel).
One Kiss joins Group One performers Never Been Kissed (NZ) and Wolverine (NZ) as the third stakes-winning daughter of up-and-coming Waikato Stud stallion Tivaci.
"Mark Walker has done a really good job with this filly," said bloodstock agent Bruce Perry, who manages Petagna's racing and bloodstock interests.
"Jamie Richards always rated her and said she was a nice filly. She had trialled really well, and we backed the expertise and opinion of those people at Te Akau Racing.
"It's nice to get black type with a filly so early in her career, and along with her Savabeel half-sister Santa Catarina, she's the second stakes winner from the mare (Discreet Evening).
"We've still got Santa Catarina and Discreet Evening, who unfortunately is proving difficult to get in foal."
One Kiss goes straight to the top of the NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series table with 7 points. Perfectly Suited moves into second with 4 points, and Kikimora is third with 2 points.
The Series now goes on a hiatus through the rest of the spring and summer, and it will resume in early March with the running of the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui.