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O'Reilly's classic placegetter Thy capped an outstanding day for Waikato Stud when she recorded a first-up win at Caulfield on Saturday.
Photo by Bronwen Healy
Owned by Waikato Stud, Thy was making her first appearance since finishing third in the G1 Australian Oaks at Randwick in April.
By champion NZ sire O'Reilly from Star Affair, Thy was purchased by Waikato Stud from the Phoenix Park draft at the 2010 NZB National Yerarliung Sale for $NZ600,000.
Her win came after Waikato Stud celebrated their sponsorship of the feature G3 Foxbridge Plate with a winning treble at Te Rapa.
Pump Up The Volume (Savabeel) started the ball rolling at Te Rapa followed by a win by Double O Seven (No Excuse Needed).
The Savabeel mare Showing Off completed the treble for her third win in seven starts and will now chase black type this preparation for trainer and part-owner Danica Guy.
Showing Off is a half-sister to No Excuse Maggie, another Waikato Stud product by No Excuse Needed who won at Otaki for trainer John Bary.
Bary plans to give the mare her next start over 1600m at Hastings before she steps up to the G1 Windsor Park Plate or the easier option of the G3 Metric Mile at Awapuni, a race she finished second in last year.
* CONSISTENT Stravinsky mare Fleur de Lune resumed from a spell with a strong win in the G3 Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa on Saturday defeating Fritzy Boy in a reversal of last year's result.
The Lee Somervell-trained mare, the 70th stakeswinner for Stravinsky, had finished second to Fritzy Boy in last year’s Foxbridge Plate but was able to turn the tables on that runner by a half-length.
“She is terrific," a delighted Somervell said. “She’s got heaps of improvement as she was only about 80 per cent fit today.
“I always thought as a five-year-old she’d be better and it augurs well for later on in the season.”
Fleur de Lune has won five of her 18 starts and been placed on a further 10 occasions and will go for a G1 win in the Makfi Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Hastings on September 1.
* DEHERE'S three-year-old filly Hollywood Angel was an eye-catching maiden winner at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Hollywood Angel swamped her rivals, coming from near last on the turn to win going away for Cambridge trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.
Winning rider Mark du Plesssis was taken with the performance.
“I know it’s only a maiden race, but there’s not many horses with a turn of foot like that that don’t go on,” du Plesssis said.
“She didn’t quite handle the loose track and on a better surface she’ll make a nice filly.
“I’d be very surprised if she didn’t win a nice race.”
Hollywood Angel carried the same colours to victory as Saturday's Rosehill winner Mon Soleil (Savabeel), who like Hollywood Angel is bred and part owned by Graham and Helen Gay Bax of Blandford Lodge.
* TOP Singapore trainer Michael Freedman could have another Darci Brahma star in his stable alongside the unbeaten Super Easy.
While Super Easy is unbeaten in 11 starts, Super Junior is a more modest two-from-two after overcoming difficulties to score at Kranji on August 17.
Freedman has picked out the $200,000 Jubilee Stakes over 1400m on September 30 as the immediate goal for Super Junior but is unsure whether he will have another run beforehand.
Freedman is obviously taken with the stock of Darci Brahma.
“He’s a good young sire and I’m having a bit of luck with them,” he said. “I hope the luck continues.”
Super Junior is from the Tierce mare Summary and was a $100,000 purchase at the 2011 Karaka yearling sales.