Riccarton Double - Perlino 7L Perfect

Trending in the right direction, Perlino (3 f Super Seth – Palomino, by Exceed and Excel) easily won the $25,000 Maiden 1600 metres on 4 February at Riccarton.

By the same sire, Super Seth (Dundeel), as Te Akau bought and trained reigning Champion Two-Year-Old La Dorada, Perlino had fought well for close third after leading in the Maiden 1600 metres on Boxing Day (26 Dec.) at Otaki, and rated a top three chance in the corresponding event.

Given a superb ride by Triston Moodley (a1), the race looked there for the taking throughout, as Perlino cruised along in fourth on the outer, and she simply strode clear in the straight to win effortlessly by seven and a half lengths. 

“She’s an easy filly to do anything with, travelled really well in the race and she put them to bed quite early on,” Moodley said. 

“She settled beautifully, travelled so well, I waited to make my move and she won really well. 

“It’s a genuine soft track and they’re getting into it, but they’ve done a good job with the track to be honest. We had quite a bit of rain yesterday, but the way it’s presented today is perfect.”

Well-educated through the trials stage, Perlino sustained a strong finish to win at the trials in November at Avondale, and the filly with strong bloodlines has kept on improving to breakthrough at her third start.

Assistant trainer Hunter Durrant, who manages the Te Akau stable at Riccarton, said: “She’s a nice filly and it was a lovely way to start the day. It was good to see her so genuine to the line and so dominant.

“It was a great ride by Triston (Moodley) to get her into the one-one from that draw (8). She’s a lovely looking filly and we have a few goals for her now.”

Durrant suggested that Perlino could contest the $180,000 Property Brokers – Ray Kean Dunedin Guineas (Listed, 1600m) on Saturday 28 February at Wingatui. 

In the race named Join Canterbury Westland Owners Association, Perlino ran 1600 metres in 1:36.8, last 600m in 35.0 (approx.) on Soft7 footing, and after winning as a favourite should she paid $2.60 & $1.50 on the NZ TAB tote.

“It was really good to see her win the race so dominantly and there’s black type options for her in the South Island,” said Mark Walker, who trains with Sam Bergerson.

“Hunter (Durrant) and his team have got the horses looking terrific and the way that Perlino won suggests she won’t be out of place in a race like the Dunedin Guineas.”

Owned by Te Akau Etched in Gold Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Perlino was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $120,000 at the Karaka 2024 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud. 

Waikato Stud sire Super Seth made a fantastic impact as a three-year-old colt, especially when ‘coming from nowhere’ to beat race favourite Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m), and a son of six-time Group One winner Dundeel, by sire of sires High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), Super Seth has already been Champion First & Second Season Sire, Champion 2YO Sire, produced 70 individual winners, including eight stakes’ winners, with his oldest crop now four-year-olds.

Ellis also bought Super Seth filly La Dorada as a yearling at Karaka, and she is one of four individual Group One winners by the sensational young sire. 

Dam Palomino (Exceed and Excel) is a half-sister to stakes winner Malice (Teofilo), from the family of four-time Group One winner Criterion (Sebring) and Comin’ Through (Fastnet Rock).

One of the most versatile Champion Sires in Australia, Exceed and Excel (Danehill) comes highly regarded in any dam line, given his outstanding credentials as a broodmare sire, while granddam Aforethought is by another Champion Sire and Champion Broodmare Sire, Encosta de Lago (Fairy King).

At the time of purchasing Perlino, Ellis said: “The dam side blood is very strong, being out of a mare by Exceed and Excel and the grand-dam by Champion Broodmare Sire Encosta de Lago. 

“He’s a very exciting young sire, Super Seth, from what we’ve already seen on the race track and especially how pleased Australian trainers are with the progeny they have by him.

“He was a highly talented racehorse, Super Seth, and his sire Dundeel was simply outstanding from day one and doing a fantastic job as both a sire and sire of sires.”

Perlino has a bloodline cross of breed shaping sire Danehill (Danzig), on the dam line of Super Seth and sire line Palomino. 

Perlino was strapped by Peter Van Rooyen.

Photo credit - Ajay Berry - www.raceimages.co.nz