Season of Success: Perlino Perfect

Perlino (Super Seth – Palomino, by Exceed And Excel) continued her impressive rise through the grades when producing a dominant performance to win the $80,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (Liste2000m) on 25 April at Riccarton.

A filly who had continued to improve with every preparation, Perlino had already created a little piece of history when providing premiership-winning trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson with their 100th victory of the season in a Rating 65 1600-metre event at Riccarton on 21 March.

She followed that performance with a fast-finishing third in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m), again at Riccarton, and entered the Warstep Stakes in terrific form, being prepared by assistant trainer Hunter Durrant and Te Akau's southern stable.

Winner of three of her previous five starts, including an emphatic seven-and-a-half-length maiden victory over 1600 metres, Perlino had demonstrated both quality and determination throughout her campaign. The only remaining question was whether she would comfortably see out the 2000 metres.

She answered that emphatically.

Although only fairly away from the barriers, Perlino quickly recovered to settle comfortably in midfield for Brazilian jockey Bruno Queiroz. Travelling strongly throughout, she appeared full of running approaching the home turn and, once a gap presented inside the 400 metres, accelerated impressively to race away and score by one and a half lengths.

On a track upgraded to Soft5, Perlino covered the 2000 metres in 2:03.1, with her final 600 metres in a slick 34.9 seconds. Strongly supported by punters, she returned $2.40 and $1.40 on the NZ TAB tote.

"It was a great win by Perlino," co-trainer Mark Walker said from Morphettville in South Australia, where he later saddled Geegees Mistruth to victory in the A$1 million Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m).

The Warstep Stakes has long been a race of significance for Te Akau.

Asavant's victory in 2012 proved particularly memorable, as her second foal, Avantage (Fastnet Rock), was later purchased as a yearling by David Ellis CNZM for $210,000 at Karaka before developing into one of New Zealand's finest modern race mares, winning nine Group One races, earning more than $2.1 million in stakes and later selling for $4.1 million - a global online record.

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

"We've had an incredible day," Ellis said at the time.

"Three winners at Te Rapa, including the exciting debut winner System Of Play (Ole Kirk), Drops Of God winning the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders' Stakes, Geegees Mistruth winning a Group One in Australia, and now Perlino winning the Listed Warstep Stakes for our South Island team.

"It's a wonderful result for everyone involved.

"Perlino is by the outstanding Waikato Stud sire Super Seth (Dundeel), who has since been sold to stand at Coolmore in Australia, and his potential was certainly one of the reasons we bought her. She also has a very strong maternal pedigree, being out of a mare by Exceed And Excel, with the grand-dam by Champion Broodmare Sire Encosta de Lago."

Following another excellent performance, Perlino has returned to Matamata, where she is being prepared for a jump-out and trial during August as connections look ahead to her four-year-old season.

Previous Te Akau winners of the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m):

2015 – No Tricks (Savabeel)

1999 – Te Akau Sun (Desert Sun)