Group One Glory for $15,000 Weanling

Within the space of less than two years, a $15,000 purchase at Karaka’s 2021 National Weanling Sale has been turned into a Group One-winning filly with $240,550 in prize-money and enormous residual value.

Pignan (NZ) (Staphanos) took her career to new heights with a tenacious and classy performance in Saturday’s $350,000 Group One Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni. Trained locally by Lisa Latta, the consistent performer has now had six starts for two wins and four placings.

Despite black-type placings in both of her previous two starts, plus a recent trial win, Pignan was largely overlooked among a well-credentialled field for Saturday’s autumn juvenile showpiece. But anyone who underestimated Pignan did so at their peril.

Ridden by Irish jockey Joe Doyle, Pignan took up a handy position trailing the front-running favourite Trobriand (Kermadec).

Soon after rounding the home turn, Pignan quickened sharply to dash through on the inside of Trobriand, soon shaking free of that rival and taking command with 300 metres to run.

Aprilia (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) loomed as a threat wider out on the track, with To Catch A Thief (U S Navy Flag) sneaking through closer to the rail, but Pignan kept kicking all the way down the straight and held them out by three-quarters of a length.

“I’m absolutely over the moon with that,” Doyle said. “I’m so grateful to Lisa and her team. They’ve done a fantastic job with this filly. She’s been on the go for a while now, and she doesn’t know how to run a bad race.

“This filly is as tough as nails, and she really showed it today. I’m so excited for next year with her.”

Latta has had success in many of the Group One features on New Zealand’s racing calendar, but this was her first time winning her home track’s biggest race of the year.

“I’ve had a great season and definitely can’t complain,” Latta said. “I think the rain might have helped this filly today, but in saying that, she’s a really good little galloper, so I don’t think she was bothered either way. Joe said to me that he wasn’t concerned by the inside draw today and knew that she would see the 1400 metres out.”

Pignan is raced by former All Whites footballer and long-time Latta stable associate Andy Rennie in partnership with All Blacks rugby legend Christian Cullen and his former manager David Monnery.

“It is great to be involved with these guys (Monnery and Cullen), and we have probably half a dozen horses together now,” Rennie said.

“We knew this filly was tough and that she would get the 1400 metres.

“It was a great ride by Joe, and we stuck to the plan all the way through after she won at Trentham at her second start in December. This was her grand final.”

Vendor	Westend Partnership
Purchaser	Adrian Clark Bloodstock (Waikato)
Breeding	Staphanos – Hirondelle
Sale	Lot 86, 2021 National Weanling Sale, $15,000
Bred by	A O Burton & Mrs L A Hunt