Princess Pockets Group 2 for Winning Pair

Palmerston North trainer Lisa Latta has taken another spring feature with her charge Platinum Princess proving too tough for the field in the Group 2 $230,000 Coupland's Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton yesterday.

A winner at her last start in the Coupland's Bakeries Mile Trial (1600m) in late October, Platinum Princess (NZ)(Keeper x Merle Park) was ridden confidently by jockey Kelly Myers in yesterday's feature race. Myers kept Platinum Princess hard up against the rail in the straight and managed to hold off fellow Karaka graduate Twilight Savings to win by half-a-length for owners Lincoln Farms and Neville McAlister.

Lisa Latta and John Street's Lincoln Farms are having a gun year, highlighted by their win in the $1 million Karaka Million with Fort Lincoln (Charge Forward) in January.

The pair's success has continued into the spring with the three-year-old President Lincoln (O'Reilly) winning the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Wellington Guineas.

"Lincoln Farms and I have had a very good run," commented Latta. "Platinum Princess won very well in her last start and I was confident that she would be hard to beat in the race. Her best distance is the mile so we are looking to take her to the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes ."

"We have Fort Lincoln lining up for us today and all going well he will join President Lincoln in the Group 1 Levin Classic on November 25."

Latta will be represented by the lightly raced winner Capital Diamond (Lucky Unicorn) in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas this weekend.

The Cambridge Stud based sire Keeper has 11 entries in next week's Karaka Ready to Run Sale

"She is a nice filly with a good temperament. I am very happy with the way she has been progressing and she has a good deal of ability," said Latta.

Yesterday's Group 2 win was the second victory at black-type level for five-year-old Platinum Princess who won the Listed Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes over a mile last season.

Her Cambridge Stud based sire Keeper is the sire of six Group 1 winners including last season's Group 1 New Zealand Oaks winner Midnight Oil.

Keeper has 11 entries in the next week's Karaka Ready to Run Sale including:

• Lot 26 from Bradbury Park, the colt from the Irish bred Zafonic mare Alisara, a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Alandi (Galileo) and stakes winner Aliyfa (Spinning World).
• Dormello Stud's colt at Lot 210 from the Thorn Park mare Mamma Rose, a half-sister to the dual Group 3 winner (Mr) Ubiquitous and from the family of the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks winner Solveig (Imposing).

Bred by Karreman Bloodstock, Platinum Princess was purchased by Lisa Latta from The Oaks Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2008 Karaka Select Sale for $115,000. She has now won six of her 30 starts and over $260,000 in stakes.

The New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale takes place at Karaka on Tuesday & Wednesday next week (15 & 16 November). Breeze Up DVDs are available from [email protected] or by calling +64 9 298 0055. DVDs are available in TV and PC format so please include the format you wish to receive with your request.