Just Like Her Sister

The Informant reports:

A year on from Darci's Dream's victory in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes at Riccarton, her younger sister Windborne has repeated that feat with a blistering performance.

Te Akau's David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis bred their Van Nistelrooy mare Sweet Dreams Baby to Darci Brahma in 2010 and produced Darci's Dream, a hugely talented filly who won the Listed feature last year en route to a brave second placing in the Gr. 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas two months later.

Twelve months on, the same mating has worked wonders again as Windborne followed in her sister's footsteps to Canterbury Belle Stakes glory. The bay filly with a striking white blaze is now rated a $12 chance of going one better than Darci's Dream in the $300,000 classic in November.

Ridden by Rosie Myers, Windborne stuck to the inside rail and settled nicely in behind the leaders. She burst to the lead at the top of the straight and sprinted too strongly for the favourite Dezzie's Dream, kicking away to win by a resounding three lengths.

Dezzie's Dream took second, with the winner's stablemate Princess Davone third.

Windborne is trained by Te Akau duo Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards for John Galvin's Fortuna Windborne Syndicate. This was her third win from five starts, and it was her second black-type win. She claimed the Listed Murdoch Newell Stakes at Avondale last November.

“It was a lovely ride from Rosie and a good performance,” Richards said. “She's always had a lot of speed. With the 1000 Guineas the aim, we wanted to teach her how to race behind horses. She did it well today. It was a good result.

“The Ray Coupland Stakes at Ashburton is about three weeks away, that will be her next start before coming back to Riccarton for the 1000 Guineas.

“We were happy with Princess Davone too. She got home really nicely late and could be a nice staying filly over Christmas and into the new year.”

Myers was riding Windborne for the first time today and was highly impressed.

“She's a super filly,” she said. “They were hoping to get her to settle and race off the pace today, she relaxed beautifully and settled really nicely. Then she had a really good turn of foot at the top of the straight. She's an exciting filly.”

Today's win was Windborne's first start since the Karaka Million in late January, when she faded to finish out of the placings after over-racing early.

Windborne was a $100,000 purchase at the 2014 Select Yearling Sale at Karaka.