First Serve (NZ) Aces the Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes

Purchased at the 2014 Festival Sale at Karaka for just $6,000, quality mare First Serve (NZ) (Swiss Ace) greatly enhanced her value with a stylish win in Wednesday’s $80,000 Group 3 Valachi Downs Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton.

Ridden by Sam Wynne for trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman, the daughter of Swiss Ace hit the lead at the top of the straight and withstood potent late challenges from Latin Rose (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) and Heni (NZ) (Towkay) to win by a neck.

“She’s a very good mare,” Matthew Pitman said. “Sam Wynne did the right thing going forward when she did. She’s done it tough but done it well.”

The win was First Serve’s sixth from eight starts and boosted her stakes earnings to $133,435 – more than 22 times her purchase price. This was the Pearl Fillies Syndicate-owned mare’s first stakes win. She ran second to last season’s champion three-year-old Xtravagant (NZ) (Pentire) in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) in April.

First Serve was bred by Rich Hill Thoroughbreds Ltd & L Williams, and she was secured from the Festival Sale as part of Rich Hill Stud’s draft.

Meanwhile, the eye-catching runner-up Latin Rose has an Ocean Park half-brother going through next week’s Ready to Run Sale. Offered by Jamieson Park, he is Lot 180.