Lara You Group 2 Legend

Performing in a manner reflective of the prohibitive odds ($1.20), Lara Antipova (2 f Russian Revolution – Artistic Lass, by Myboycharlie) impressively won the $175,000 Group 2 Windsor Park Stud Wakefield Challenge Stakes over 1100m on Saturday at Trentham.

After having her rivals covered to win a trial on 14 November at Avondale, Lara Antipova then bolted in by eight lengths on debut in the Maiden 2YO 1150 metres on 7 December at Te Aroha, and rated a top three chance at stakes' level at just her second Raceday start.

Ridden again by leading jockey Craig Grylls, who was also aboard at Te Aroha, Lara Antipova appeared in great order behind the barriers before the start, began well to settle outside the leader, and steadily increased her winning margin after taking control at the 200m.

“She was obviously very dominant in her first start and stepping up to the next level, you wonder if it was too easy the first time, but she’s proven it again,” Grylls said.

“She’s so professional and credit to Mark (Walker) and Sam (Bergerson), she did everything perfectly. 

“She jumped and put herself there, but the sort that if I wanted to take a sit she would come straight back. She got across the junction really well, balanced up, and all I had to do was give her a couple of slaps on the shoulder.”

Winning by four and a half lengths, Lara Antipova ran 1100 metres in 1:03.3 on Soft5 footing.

“It was a terrific performance to win and great to get the result for John and Jessica Galvin (Fortuna Racing) and their owners,” Walker said.

“I remember, going back a few years now to 2004, when won the Wakefield Challenge Stakes for John (Galvin) with a filly he was involved with named Kapsdan (Kaapstad).

“Lara Antipova has always shown a lot of natural ability, and it was great that our buying team was able to pick her out at the yearling sales, within John’s budget. We sort of targeted stallions and the buyers were a bit cold on the progeny of Russian Revolution at the sale, but we knew he was capable of leaving Group One winners.

“Originally, she failed the scope at the sale, because she had pharyngitis and had to go back to the vendors for 30 days. John didn’t actually syndicate her until we gave her a jump out last spring, and we told him we thought he had a really good filly.

“It was good of John to do it that way, because we wanted to know she was one-hundred percent in the wind.

“So, it’s been a real success story so far and it looks like she’s got a really bright future.

“We bought her at the Magic Millions sale in January, and we’re looking forward to getting back there in a few weeks with the buying team: Dave (Ellis), Marcus (Corban), Reece (Trumper), Jack O'Brien and Doug Black, and myself, and again looking for horses of good value like Lara Antipova.”

Owned by the Fortuna Lara Antipova Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), she was purchased for A$100,000 by David Ellis CNZM and Fortuna Racing, from the draft of Vinery Stud, at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. 

“Obviously she was pretty short in betting and the market was treating her as though she was unbeatable, but I’m always cautious in that situation,” Galvin said.

“As I said to the owners, we’ll celebrate when she crosses the line, not beforehand. We were always going to be delighted if she won, but to win by that sort of margin, on the back of beating a stronger field than she beat on debut at Te Aroha, meant she drew a bit of a line in the sand, today, I think, in terms of her overall quality.”

In relation to how she coped with the overnight trip away, Galvin said: “Interestingly, she hasn’t been the greatest of doers, but Roydon (Bergerson), where she stayed at Awapuni, said to me she travelled well and licked the bowl clean last night.

“Hopefully the trip away will be the making of her and she remains good in the feed bin.”

“We’re boutique syndicators at Fortuna Racing, so we can’t expect to be having winners everyday of the week, but to have a filly like this after the recent success of Bellatrix Star and previously with Melody Belle is really nice, and it’s pleasing to be able to deliver these sorts of results on a regular basis,” Galvin added. 

Lara Antipova is by dual Group One winning sprinter Russian Revolution (Snitzel), Leading First & Second Season Sire in Australia, out of Artistic Lass, who won five races from 1800m – 2200m. 

She is the fourth individual winner for the mare, and her first stakes' success, including winner of five races Caring Lass (Sebring) and four-time winner Bubbly Lass (More Than Ready). 

Her grand-dam Famous Painter (Peintre Celebre) left plenty of stakes’ performers, including Group Two and Group Three winners Sistine Demon (Excites) and Sistine Angel (Testa Rossa), and Group Three placed Themoonlitegambler (Good Journey) and Scully (Shooting To Win). 

The pedigree is further enhanced by third dam Rancheetah (Rancher), who recorded eight wins including a stakes’ win, and among five winners she left Group Two Gallopini (Canny Lad). 

Becoming the sixth Wakefield Challenge Stakes' winner for Te Akau, Lara Antipova is scheduled to have a break for a week, before preparing for the $225,000 Group 2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) on 14 February at Matamata, and $550,000 Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) on 7 March at Ellerslie. 

“We won this race with Maroofity, who went on to become Champion Two-Year-Old, and then a year later with Kapsdan, followed by King's Ransom, Aotea Lad and, in 2023, Captured By Love.  I’m thrilled for John and the owners to win it again,” said David Ellis.

“She was impressive winning on debut and really stepped up today with another very smart win, so it’s pretty exciting for everyone involved.

“She wasn’t an expensive filly, but by a good sire and there is plenty of stakes' winners in the family, so now she’s joined them and really added to her value.

“We’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into our preparation for the upcoming yearling sales at Magic Millions, on the Gold Coast, where we bought the likes of Lara Antipova, Captured By Love, Imperatriz, Sword of State and Princess Coup - then Karaka, both coming up in January, it's a bust time of the year but we love it!”

Lara Antipova was strapped by Mahesh Kumar. 

Photo credit - Peter Rubery - www.raceimages.co.nz