Ooh La La Adelita

Showing scintillating acceleration, La Adelita (3 f High Chaparral - Romantic Liaisons, by Danasinga) could hardly have been more impressive in winning on debut over 1400 metres on March 12 at Matamata.

Overlooked by punters, to a certain degree, following two smart trial performances this time in, La Adelita shortened in the market from $12 to $9 and won like a horse that should have commanded far more attention.

La Adelita was bred by Justice Lowell Goddard and she races the filly with Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM and Sir Peter Vela.

Settling seventh, in tight quarters, La Adelita tracked up from six lengths off the leader at the 600 metres and rider Hayden Tinsley found a nice split in centre track entering the straight. On balancing, she quickened appreciably to get on terms with the leader at the 100m and ran clear powerfully over the concluding stages.

Clocking 1:23.8, last 600m in 36.5, La Adelita presented terrifically in the birdcage, looked on the job in her prelim and won by a one length with three and a quarter to third.

“She's a really nice filly and, again, another one we have taken a lot of time with,” said Te Akau trainer Jason Bridgman. “We have given her time to develop and strengthen and she has shown a good turn of foot at the trials, and the reason why we kicked her off at 1400 metres.

“Against the pattern of the day, to come from off the pace was pretty impressive,” said Bridgman.

“You didn't tell me she had a turn of foot like that,” Tinsley said to Bridgman, on dismounting.

Tinsley said: “The leaders had been kicking on pretty well and they
hadn't been coming from too far back, but Jason (Bridgman) said to ride her like a stayer and she always felt she would go when I asked her. She will take good improvement and a Saturday class horse, for sure.”

From the unraced mare Romantic Liaisons, La Adelita is from the family of Reigning To Win (King of Kings), Joint third on the 2006-07 Australasian 3YO Classification. The winner of fifteen races between 1200m - 1600m, Reigning To Win included victories in the T J Smith Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m), AJC Roman Consul Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m), and BTC Doomben Classic (Gr. 3, 1615m).

“I'm thrilled and over the moon with the win,” said Justice Goddard, who has bred from the family and knows it well. “It's wonderful for her to go out and win, because she will know she's won and it's a positive experience.

“She (La Adelita) has a great hindquarter and a wonderful shoulder and girth, and she stands over a lot of ground. She's a powerful animal and Jason (Bridgman) has given her the time to grow into herself, for which I'm hugely grateful.

“There is probably more speed in the family than people realise, because there have been injuries and early demises. Her grandmother, Heidi Fleiss (Epidaurus), on the distaff side may not look like a great pedigree but they were really fast and her mother Romantic Liaisons bowed a tendon and this is why you have to be so patient with them. La Adelita is the third foal and the fourth foal, by Nom Du Jeu, is absolutely lovely.

“Romantic (Liaisons) was a lovely Danasinga (Danehill) mare and unfortunately I lost her this foaling, which was terribly upsetting. She foaled down a beautiful Per Incanto (Street Cry) filly, which I'm keeping.

“When La Adelita was foaled, the staff at Little Avondale Stud used to say she was the friendliest foal on the farm. I reluctantly sent her to the sales and I find it very difficult to sell anything, but she threw a massive temperature about half an hour before she was to go in the sales ring and ended up at the equine hospital. She had become dehydrated, nothing more, and I just decided she didn't want to be sold.

“It's lovely that these things come along every so often, but not that often, and I'm very grateful to Jason (Bridgman) for the way he has looked after her and the patience he's shown, and I think she's going to be a stayer that doesn't need to be revved up and she doesn't need to be hit. Not fussed or driven and allowed to find her own feet,” said Justice Goddard.

Having made the best possible start to her career, La Adelita seems to have the tactical speed to suit a mile and also enough in her pedigree and racing style to suggest further would not be an issue.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz