Lightning Strikes Twice as Secret Allure (NZ) Takes Champagne

The Select Sale was where it all began for this season’s New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Dijon Bleu(NZ) (Burgundy), and the same trainer and owners struck black-type gold with another Select Sale graduate when Secret Allure(NZ) (Zacinto) won Saturday’s $50,000 Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes at Riccarton.

Djion Bleu, who cost just $26,000 at the 2016 Select Sale, won six of her 11 starts and more than $306,000 in stakes for trainer and part-owner Lisa Latta and her co-owners Kevin Dixon, Peter Finlayson, Debra Masters, Milton Passey, Andrew Rennie and Trevor Tomlins.

Her racing career is now over, but it has only just begun for the $36,000 purchase Secret Allure.

Making the fourth start of her career, the filly came from midfield and shot through a gap along the inside to take the lead in the straight. Fellow Karaka graduate Peaceful(NZ) (Savabeel) chased gamely, but Secret Allure was too strong and scored by a length and a quarter.

“She felt great,” jockey Rosie Myers said. “Once she got that split by the rail, she gave me a really good turn of foot. She probably even got there a bit too easily and just eased up a bit.

“I think she’ll run further than this later on. She’s pretty tractable and will do what you ask her to do.”

Secret Allure has picked up two wins, a second and a fourth from her four starts to date, earning $50,375 in prize-money.