3 minute read
Matchmaker wins PJ Bell Stakes and Kiku lands Carbine Club
Chris Waller looks to have unearthed a pair of high-class fillies at Randwick on Saturday as former New Zealand-trained three-year-old Matchmaker (3 f Makfi - Love Somebody by Fastnet Rock) landed the PJ Bell Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), while Kiku (3 f Zoustar - Atotori by Haradasun) proved too strong for her rivals in the Carbine Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m).
Having landed this season's Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m) in New Zealand last October for former trainers Nick Wigley and Kayla Milnes, Matchmaker was winning her first race for new trainer Chris Waller at her third start for the stable when she took out the PJ Bell Stakes and in the process became the 19th Group winner for former Westbury Stud shuttler Makfi (Dubawi).
Ridden by James McDonald, Matchmaker raced just behind the leaders and emerged out of the pack with 100 metres left to travel and found more under pressure to repel the late advances of Marboosha (Dream Ahead), eventually beating her by a nose. Geist (Medaglia d'Oro) was another half a length away in third.
"She's from the south island in New Zealand, she did a good job over there winning her first start and running in some nice races, picking up some black type. Now to come to the big stage here at Royal Randwick and winning on Doncaster day, it's pretty special." said Waller.
The filly is one of three winners out of the placed Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Love Somebody, who is herself a daughter of Group 2 winner Dynamic Love (Brave Warrior).
Dynamic Love herself is a half-sister to Listed winner Key Bar Nights (Anabaa) - the dam of fellow Listed winner Barbed. Further back this is also the family of Singapore champion Top Knight (Zoustar) and Listed-winning duo Princess Margaret (Spectrum) and Over Exposure (Rothesay).
Makfi's five Group 1 winners include three New Zealand elite scorers; Bonneval, Sofia Rosa and Marky Mark.
The son of Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) - who shuttled to Westbury Stud for six seasons - stood at Tweenhills Stud in the northern hemisphere, before being sold by Qatar Racing in 2016 and now resides at Japan Bloodstock Breeders' Association.
Earlier on in the afternoon, Kiku racked up her third successive victory in the Carbine Club Stakes and in the process handed Widden Stud-based sire Zosutar (Northern Meteor) with his 21st stakes winner.
The three-year-old filly came into the race off the back of victories at Warwick Farm on March 3, while she was most recently seen winning over 1400 metres at the Randwick-Kensington on March 25 and she clearly thrived in the step up in trip, surging home to beat The Irishman (Tavistock) by three-quarters of a length. Poland (So You Think) was another three-quarters of a length in third.
Waller is looking to a spring campaign with the filly, earmarking potential runs in the Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Golden Eagle (1500m), but the trainer also said the filly could head to the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) on June 5.
"I reckon she is still developing and she'll be our Epsom, lightweight horse and Golden Eagle type of horse," Waller said.
"I don't know about Queensland, maybe a South Australian Oaks in three weeks but she is a sister to Zoutori, who is a sprinter, so you've just got to question whether she'll get beyond a mile."
Bred by Frank Meduri, Kiku was purchased by Denise Martin's Star Thoroughbreds for $300,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Amarina Farm draft and she is out of Atotori, making her a sister to this season's Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Zoutori.
Atotori is herself a half-sister to South African Grade 3 winner Castlethorpe (Not A Single Doubt) and the dam of Grade 2 winner Quiet Oasis (Oasis Dream).
Further back this is also the same family as Group 1 winner Park Express (Ahonoora) - the dam of multiple Group 1 winner and successful sire New Approach (Galileo).
Meduri has bred the likes of Haradasun and Elvstroem (Danehill) through his association with blue hen mare Circles of Gold (Marscay) – who he part-owned - as well as Highland Reel (Galileo) and others in partnership with Coolmore.
Atotori sadly died in a truck accident earlier this year.
Zoustar has enjoyed a good season on the track, siring 125 winners, headed by 11 stakes winners and he had 24 lots sell for an aggregate of $9,375,000 at an average of $390,625 at last week's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
