Super Saturday - Win No.1 Festivity Fabulous

After a titanic tussle between two well performed mares, Festivity (4 m I Am Invincible - Mabsam, by Stratum) defeated stable-mate Pinultimate (Pins) in the $30,000 Three Wise Birds Rating 74 1200 metres on Saturday at Hastings.

Festivity had been impressive winning both her starts before spelling in January while Pinultimate, the winner of three from five, was resuming from a long layoff.

After each receiving a good trip handy to the pace, Pinultimate, under Troy Harris, ranged to the outside of Festivity mid-straight and following a ding-dong battle it was the latter that gained a narrow advantage at the line.

Ridden by Danielle Johnson, Festivity ran the 1200 metres in a solid 1:10.8, scoring by a nose, and hotly supported in betting she returned $1.40 & $1.10 NZ TAB tote. With a terrific pedigree, and ability to match, the winner of three from three is a very exciting prospect.

Danielle Johnson said: “Once she saw Pinultimate come outside her she's really dug deep and carrying a bit less weight (55kgs) also helps. She feels like she'll get over a bit more ground too and does things pretty effortlessly.”

“It was a cagey ride, but that's what she does, waits and saves it for the last bit and gets busy,” said trainer Jamie Richards, of the ride by Johnson. “She threw her over the line.

“Pinultimate had been off the scene for a long time and I think they'll both improve for the fresh-up run.”

Richards intimated that there would be no rush getting back to the races with Festivity, but stakes' races awaited her.

“She's got it all in front of her,” he said. “She's a lovely sort that Dave (Ellis) bought at Karaka, put into a fillies' syndicate, and she's got a big page and a big pedigree.

“Pinultimate has had a few soundness problems, but she's a black type sort of mare as well.”

Both were purchased by David Ellis CNZM at Karaka, with the Te Akau principal outlaying $410,000 for Festivity at the 2018 Karaka Book 1 Sale. She is owned by the Te Akau 2018 Fabulous Fillies Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM). Pinultimate was a $36,000 from the 2017 Karaka Select Sale.

“Festivity's a filly we bought at the sales from Windsor Park Stud, one of the best stud farms in New Zealand,” Ellis said. “We've had terrific success buying from their farm and it's brilliantly run by Rodney Schick and his team. 

“It was such a thrill for the fillies' syndicate to see her make it three from three and she has the scope and pedigree to keep advancing through the grades, I think. She could also sneak up in distance too.

“I bought three fillies for the syndicate and unfortunately we lost a Savabeel filly with a beautiful pedigree, so that's left us with two lovely fillies - Festivity and Exaltation - and between them they've won five out of six starts,” Ellis said. 

“Exaltation is a half-sister to our Horse of the Year Melody Belle, who has won a further nine Group 1 races since we bought these fillies, so her value has skyrocketed and Festivity, too, is now a very valuable filly. 

“It's such an honour to train these fillies for our owners. They put such a lot of money into buying them and it's so rewarding to see them line-up on race day and do what they're doing.

“Festivity is by the leading sire in Australia (I Am Invincible), and I liked her so much that I bought her half-brother by Mongolian Khan (named, Conquering Khan) from Windsor Park, too. It's a slower maturing family. They're not two-year-olds, but it looks like Mabsam is a pretty exciting broodmare. 

“Also, the grand-dam is by Zabeel and that's a huge boost to any pedigree.” 

Progeny by Leading Australian Sire (wins) I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), standing for $209,000, have been incredibly well sought after. His yearlings have sold for $2 million, $1.9m, $1.7m, $1.45m, and averaged over $400,000 last year. Mabsam was a debut winner over 1000 metres, winning to a mile, by a Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) winning son of Redoute's Choice, Stratum, and her three progeny to race have all won (11 wins in total).

Festivity was strapped by Hunter Durrant. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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