Donna the Dominator

Ridden positively, Donna Chiara (3 f Belardo – Bellabaci, by Zabeel) easily won the $18,500 Seahorse Supplements Maiden 3YO 1200 metres on 25 September at Timaru.

After finding the line solidly for second when resuming in the Maiden 1200 metres on 29 August at Riccarton (poly-track), with Wiremu Pinn aboard, the same combination was strongly favoured as a top three chance.

Although drawn wide (11), but with blinkers on to sharpen her up, Donna Chiara had the zip to work forward outside the leader and appeared the best chance among the leading quartet turning for home. She certainly proved that fact and raced away inside the final 200m to win easing down by one and a half lengths. 

On course, stable foreman Hurrant Durrant said: “She took a lot of improvement from her first-up run and I think the addition of blinkers by Mark (Walker) and Sam (Bergerson) was the key. 

“It was good to see her get the job done quite easily in the end. We’ll see how she pulls up before deciding what we aim her for in the future.”

Recording the highest winning tally (63) by any trainer last season in the South Island, Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson included six wins at the Phar Lap racecourse in Timaru, and Donna Chiara was their first runner on the course this season.

The team has already now recorded 12 wins from Te Akau's southern base this season.

On lovely Good4 footing, Donna Chiara ran 1200 metres in 1:11.08, last 600m in 34.8 (approx.), and as race favourite she returned $2.90 & $1.60 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It was a really good win by Donna Chiara and a good ride by Wiremu to put her in the race,” Walker said. “He was positive from the gates and that was the winning of the race.

“She’ll go on to bigger things now and hopefully head towards the Barneswood Stakes at Ashburton.  She’s getting stronger and more mature, as time goes on, and the win should give her a lot of confidence. 

“It’s great to get another win for Lib Petana, in his colours, and we always appreciate the support of breeders like him.

“He’s got the breeding operation in full swing at Elsdon Park, and has an outstanding stud manager in Kerrie Cox.” 

Owned by JML Bloodstock (Mgr: Lib Petagna), Donna Chiara was purchased by Bruce Perry Bloodstock for $90,000 at the Karaka 2023 Book 2 Sale, from the draft of breeders Little Avondale Stud.

Donna Chiara became the fifth individual winner for Bellabaci, who won four times to 2200 metres, while Little Avondale Stud Blue Hen mare Sound Lover, the grand-dam, left 11 individual winners of 59 races and $4.83 million in prize money.

“We bought her to be a nice filly and she’s out of Sam’s (Williams, Little Avondale Stud) great family,” said Perry, who has been instrumental in the selection and advisory process of horses for JML Bloodstock.

“Mark and Sam had told us that her work had been very good and she raced quite sharply with the blinkers on. It was a nice win and a good effort after working forward from a wide gate.

“In order for Donna Chiara to earn her keep as a broodmare at Elsdon she probably has to be a black type filly.”

Buying fillies predominantly has allowed Petagna to build a classy broodmare band, which resides at Elsdon Park Stud in Matamata, formerly Valachi Downs and was acquired by Lib and Katrina Petagna in 2022. 

JML Bloodstock had success with the stable when One Kiss (Tivaci) won the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes in 2023, and Donna Chiara may head towards a similar opportunity in the $100,000 Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes over 1400m on Saturday 12 October at Ashburton. 

“Lib has a great setup on a beautiful farm at Elsdon Park, and Kevin Hickman (Valachi Downs) had done an amazing job there,” Perry said.

“There is probably about 30-plus yearlings to sell this year at Karaka, and they’re in the process of breeding approximately 60 mares. 

“Lib is fortunate to have stallion shares in the likes of Savabeel, Per Incanto, Alabama Express, Ardrossan, Super Seth, and Noverre, which makes life a lot easier when it comes to breeding rights.

“Donna Chiara might have a crack at the Barneswood, which won’t be easy, but it’s a suitable stakes' race. 

“It’s nice to have a filly out that family and if she can get some black type as a three-year-old, whether it’s in the spring, or in the autumn leading up to the Warstep Stakes, it would be great. 

“She’s a big leggy filly and there should be no reason, if she settles, that she wouldn’t get a mile and a bit further, especially as a three-year-old against her own age group, which is sometimes when they can get a distance that they may not ever get at any other age. 

“He’s a pretty handy sire Belardo (Lope De Vega), and has sired middle distance horses, and it was nice to see Donna Chiara win on a good track. She’s a very athletic filly, so we hope she can keep improving. 

“One Kiss, who won the Canterbury Belle, she’s just had a beautiful Savabeel filly.”

Donna Chiara was strapped by Hollie Smith.  

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz