Donna Cattiva (NZ) Punishes Rivals in Oaklands Plate

The Danny O'Brien trained Donna Cattiva (NZ) picked up her first black-type, and her first race win, on Saturday at Morphettville with a big performance in the A$80,000 Listed Oaklands Plate (1600m).

After enjoying a lovely run in third place on the fence with jockey Dwayne Dunn in the saddle, Donna Cattiva (Captain Rio x Nishaani) was brought across heels on the home corner and was brilliant in the straight, claiming the race leader and powering away to a four length win.

The two-year-old filly came into the race three starts back from a spell and ran a good fourth coming into the Listed event at Sale in late April. She also had two starts earlier in the season where she ran third on debut at Flemington to the Starcraft filly Sell in May who contested the $1 million Karaka Million.

Bred by Watson Bloodstock, Donna Cattiva is a full sister to the Group 1 winner Il Quello Veloce and was purchased by Danny O'Brien Racing from Westbury Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2011 Karaka Premier Sale for $310,000.

Raced by Surace Bloodstock, Donna Cattiva's record now stands at five starts for a win and a placing for just shy of A$60,000 in stakes.

The filly is the 16th stakes winner for her sire Captain Rio who stands at Westbury Stud. The son of Pivotal has also sired the likes of Group 1 VRC Oaks winner Brazilian Pulse and has two weanlings in the May Sale.

Westbury Stud has a draft of 12 horses in this week's National Weanling & Broodmare Sale at Karaka, 11 of which are weanlings and include Lot 18, the colt by freshman sire Swiss Ace from the Group 1 winning mare Winning Wave (Crested Wave). The stud will also offer colts by Captain Rio, Red Giant and Librettist.