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Ritani records her first stakes victory in the Winter Cup
Ritani (7 m ex Elegant Emerald by Unbridled's Song) provided former Westbury Stud shuttler Makfi (Dubaiw) with his 38th stakes winner when causing an upset to record in the Winter Cup (Gr 3, 1600m) at Riccarton Park on Saturday.
Taking the lead with 150 metres left to run, 20-1 shot Ritani beat Justaskme (No Excuse Needed) by a length and a quarter , with another three quarters of a length back to Verry Flash (Zed) in third while favourite, Tappy's One (Proisir), finished fourth.
"We had the plan three months ago to set her for this race, so we gave her a break and brought her back for the Cup trial at Ashburton, where she ran fifth," said trainer Ian Taplin.
"We then went to the Oamaru Cup where she was going to run second but just got run down on the post."
Ritani is out of the stakes placed Unbridled's Song (Unbridled) mare, Elegant Emerald who ran fourth in the 2003 Telegraph Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) behind Tit For Taat (Faltaat).
She was purchased by bloodstock agent Bruce Perry for NZ$85,000 out of the Wellfield Lodge draft at the 2016 Select Yearling Sale, she did her initial racing for owner Lib Petagna from the Stephen Marsh stable where she won on four occasions.
Ritani transferred to the Taplin stable in October last year after being purchased for NZ$16,000 via Gavelhouse, where she has now won a further five races and career prize money of just over NZ$213,000.
Makfi was sold to Japan in 2016.
