4 Win NY Day - Drops of God Dazzles

Taking the next step with aplomb, Drops Of God (3 f Hello Youmzain – Distinctive Lass, by Orientate) won the $80,000 TAB Rating 65 1200 metres on 1 January at Ellerslie.

Shooting away to score easing down by five and a half lengths on debut in the Maiden 1150 metres on 7 December at Te Aroha, Drops Of God rated a top three chance up in grade but closer to race time she became the modicum of increased support.

Beginning smartly to situate amid a three-way tussle on a torrid pace, Drops Of God balanced nicely in the straight for stable rider Opie Bosson and remained straight and true when sustaining a strong gallop to win.

“She’s still got quite a bit to learn, but definitely well above average,” Bosson said. “Once she puts everything together, she could be a very smart sprinter.”

On Soft6 footing, Drops Of God ran 1200 metres in 1:11.6, last 600m in 35.2, and paid $2.20 & $1.30 on the NZ TAB tote.

“She has been a bit highly strung, but the staff have done a great job with her and she’s commenced racing with two really good wins,” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson.

“She’s from a family that we’ve had a lot of success with, and great to see Opie (Bosson) start of the New Year in top form.”

From an illustrious family including Te Akau bought and trained Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma), Drops Of God is now scheduled to step up again and take her place in the $250,000 Group 3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m). 

Bergerson added: “It was a really good effort, being a three-year-old filly against the older horses and up in grade.

“She had to do a bit of work to hold her spot on pace, gave a really good kick, and was true to the line as well.”

A Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion, sire Hello Youmzain (Kodiac) carried its yellow & black chequered colours to victory in the prestigious Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot.

An extremely well-bred colt on the Danehill (Danzig) sire line, out of a Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare, Hello Youmzain won two Group One sprint races on his way to becoming a leading European sprinter.

Retired to stud in 2021, Hello Youmzain has produced 98 individual winners including seven stakes’ winners. 

The family is very well known to Te Akau, through the deeds of Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma), Wairau Cove (Darci Brahma), and Distinctive Darci (Darci Brahma).

David Ellis CNZM first purchased Distinctive Darci, a smart four-length trial winner on debut at Te Aroha, who then transferred to Mark Walker in Singapore, winning 11 races, including a Group Two, and over NZ$1 million in prize money. 

He then bought Kahma Lass, the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner and subsequent stakes' winner at Caulfield, for owners Cambridge Stud, while Te Akau also trained three-time winner and Group Three placed Wairau Cove. 

Her dam Distinctive Lass has also left Kuro (Denman), winner of five stakes races in a total of eight wins, and Southern Lad (Ocean Park) also won seven in Australia, while, overall, Distinctive Lass has produced 10 individual winners of 38 races. 

In addition, Ellis purchased five-time Group One winner and Champion Sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) as a yearling at Karaka, and the mating with Distinctive Lass has worked extraordinarily well. 

Fourth dam Special (Habituate) won 10 races including three Group One's, all at Flemington: the Newmarket Handicap (1200m), Lightning Stakes (1000m) and the Gadsden Stakes (1200m). At stud, Special produced 14 foals, 10 raced and nine were winners.

A total of 13 stakes' winners and eight stakes' placed performers descend from Sal II (Sallust), the dam of Special.

Now 21-years-old, Distinctive Lass has a beautiful colt by Super Seth (Dundeel) entered in the Karaka 2026 Book 1 Sale, and is back in foal to Super Seth. 

Drops Of God provided a perfect start to the New Year for Walker & Bergerson, having won on the last day of 2025 with their sole entrant at New Plymouth, El Viento (El Roca), while their next runner, Kinnaird (Home Affairs), added to the success when winning the Group 2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), Towering Vision made it an Ellerslie stable treble, while Sheanadh won on debut at Mornington from Te Akau's Cranbourne stable - making it a four win New Year's Day!

The team certainly started the New Year the way it means to continue!

Drops Of God was strapped by Sarah West. 

Photo credit - Kenton Wright - www.raceimages.co.nz