Group 1 Double for Karaka Fillies

Talented Karaka fillies Il Quello Veloce and Zarita boasted Group 1 triumph on either side of the Tasman this weekend, each securing their first victory at racing's highest level.

The John Sargent trained Il Quello Veloce (Captain Rio x Nishaani by Gold Brose) overcame a wide barrier draw to finally get her just rewards, producing a commanding performance to win the Group 1 Ford Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni. Noel Harris guided the filly to her dominant two-and-a-quarter length win with fellow Karaka graduates Captain Fantastic (Fantastic Light x Regal Ask by Green Desert) and San Bernardino (Gold Mine x Miss Katella by The Commander) filling the minor placings.

The impressive-looking chestnut filly recorded an unlucky sixth in the Karaka Million in late January to then run second in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes and third in the Group 1 Ford Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie behind Fully Fledged (Align x Fledged by Bluebird) and Raid (Pins x Vanilla Sky by O'Reilly). Saturday's win was her second from six starts with her share of the NZ$200,000 purse taking her earnings to NZ$170,350.

Sargent purchased the filly from Westbury Stud, for NZ$50,000 at the Karaka Select Sale last year and she is now raced by the aptly named Flying Fillies Syndicate.

The win provided Westbury Stud sire Captain Rio (Pivotal) with his first Group 1 winner. From his first NZ crop, Il Quello Veloce is Captain Rio's best performed offspring to date and joins fellow stakes-winner Philario who is from his first Northern Hemisphere crop.

Meanwhile at Morphettville, the Pat Hyland-trained filly Zarita (Pentire x Gin Player by Defensive Play) was tenacious to the end, securing the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) by a neck ahead of Moment in Time and Queen of Queens.

Lightly raced, Zarita's win was her third in a row and brings her tally to 10 starts for six wins, three at Group 2 level including the Wakeful Stakes at the Melbourne Spring Carnival, for over A$730,000 in prize-money.

Bred by the co-breeder of Melbourne Cup winner Efficient, Scott Williams, the three-year-old is a half-sister to Group 2 Concorde Handicap winner Run Like The Wind (Pins). She was sold by Rich Hill Stud at the 2006 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$195,000 to Victoria-based Pendant Equine Syndicate.

Rich Hill's resident sire Pentire (Be My Guest) has now sired seven individual Group 1 winners with Zarita joining Xcellent, Penny Gem, Pantani, Recurring, Art Success and Pentane.

Saturday also saw the Stud enjoy success as the vendors of the decisive winner of the Listed Aspiration Quality (1600m) winner Pravana (Anabaa x Pravda by Zabeel). She was sold at the 2004 Karaka Premier Sale to Queensland-based John Hutchins for NZ$275,000.

This season so far has seen fourteen individual Group 1 winners to have graced the Karaka sale-ring, boasting 16 Group 1 victories between them. Amongst these, top performers on both sides of the Tasman including Efficient, El Segundo, Master O'Reilly, Alamosa and Sir Slick.