Tough Filly Comes of Age

The Informant reports:

Duchess Kate followed in her older sister's footsteps and made a big splash in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series when she scored a determined victory in today's Gr. 3 Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham.

The Matamata-trained filly is by Savabeel out of Royal Prize, making her a full-sister to Saavoya, who finished second in last year's Filly of the Year Series with victories in the Gr. 2 Eight Carat Classic and Royal Stakes and placings in the Gr. 2 Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic and Gr. 3 Sunline Vase.

Duchess Kate, bred and raced by prominent transtasman owner Max Whitby, has taken a bit more time than Saavoya. She'd had only one black-type start before today, finishing a battling fifth in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes in the spring. But Duchess Kate is well and truly coming into her own now, with today's Group 3 triumph being her third win from seven career starts and her second in a row. Her last start was a similarly courageous victory at the expense of the highly rated Hiflyer at Ellerslie on December 28.

“She's been very tough from day one and she's a very classy filly who's on the way up,” said co-trainer Jamie Richards. He and senior training partner Stephen Autridge won two races earlier in the afternoon with Smashing and Heroic Valour.

“Max and Stephen are great buddies, and Stephen brought this filly to the stable when he joined the training partnership last year. We're very happy to have a horse like her in our stable. This is a great result and we're all really chuffed.”

Matt Cameron got Duchess Kate to settle in fourth position as Maritimo set a solid pace in the 1600-metre feature. Duchess Kate strongly surged into contention at the top of the straight and took the lead, but she looked vulnerable as Bella Court pounced and clearly headed her.

However, Duchess Kate clawed her way back into the contest and gradually got the better of Bella Court in a desperate duel. The $7.30 fourth favourite thrust her neck out at the line and scored by a long neck. Bella Court held second from the fast-finishing Graham Richardson-trained pair Strada Cavallo and Lauberhorn.

“The plan was to ride her where she was comfortable and she just pinged out of the gates and put herself in the perfect position,” Cameron said. “She settled into a beautiful rhythm. Having the other horse next to her all the way down the straight really helped her keep finding.

“She's still got a few quirks but the more racing she has, the better she's going to be. She's a very tough filly.”

Duchess Kate is now likely to attempt to go one better than sister Saavoya's second placing behind Vavasour in the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic at Te Rapa on February 13. She also holds a nomination for the Gr. 1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 19, for which she is now rated a $16 chance. Bella Court has tightened to $31, with Strada Cavallo $21 and Lauberhorn $41. The joint favourites are still Capella and Sofia Rosa at $8.

Strada Cavallo has moved up to second place in the Filly of the Year Series leader board, with the 1.5 points she got for finishing third today lifting her total to 8.5. Capella and Sofia Rosa are now third equal with 8. Duchess Kate has moved up to six points, equal with Coldplay, Serious Satire and Bella Court, who already had three points courtesy of her runner-up finish in the Gr. 3 Eulogy Stakes last month.