Win No.3 - One Kiss Claims Canterbury Belle

The $65,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m) has long been a sought-after race and One Kiss (3 f Tivaci - Discreet Evening, by Discreet Cat) took the spoils on Saturday at Riccarton.

Owned and bred by Lib Petagna (JML Bloodstock), and managed by Bruce Perry Bloodstock, One Kiss is a half-sister to impressive five time winner Santa Catarina (Savabeel), who included the Waikato Equine Vets 2YO Stakes (1100m) in her successful resume.

Having won two of three trials before racing greenly on debut in the Maiden 1200 metres on 24 August at Taupo, won by stable-mate and subsequent second placed Cognito (So You Think), One Kiss took the step up after being reported to have done everything right in the interim.

In the zone following a winning ride aboard stable-mate Navalha (Sebring) earlier on the card, Opie Bosson had to shimmy One Kiss into midfield from the outside gate (14). Given brief respite with cover across the junction on to the course proper, One Kiss challenged to lead a furlong out and had matters sown up thereafter for a pretty soft victory.

One Kiss became the fourth Canterbury Belle Stakes winner for Te Akau, following Darci Brahma (Danehill) fillies and full sisters Darci's Dream and Windborne in 2014 and 2015, respectively, having first won it with NZB Filly of the Year Shikoba (Chief Bearhart) in 2005.

“It was a very proud moment for Te Akau to train our first black type winner for JML Bloodstock and Lib Petagna, and really grateful that he and Bruce Perry gave us this nice filly to train,” said Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM.

“She's shown ability right through and Opie had the choice of rides, as he does in all the races, because you won't keep someone like Opie as your stable jockey if you don't give him the choice in each race.

“He's ridden 86 Group One winners, obviously a great judge and he chose to ride One Kiss. But I also thought the stable-mate I Choose You (I Am Invincible) went a super race too for fifth, ridden by our apprentice Joe Kamaruddin.”

Clocking 1:11.3 on Soft6 footing, One Kiss was earlier fixed at $4.80 but drifted to pay $11.20 & $2.70 on the TAB tote.

“Mark's done a really good job with her,” Perry said. “Jamie (Richards) always rated her and said she was a nice filly and she's continued to improve.

“She had trialled really well and we backed the expertise and opinion of those people at Te Akau.

“It's nice to win black type with a filly so early in her career and along with Santa Catarina she's the second stakes' winner from the mare.

“We've still got Santa Catarina and the mother (Discreet Evening), who is proving difficult to get in foal.”

Winning such a prestigious race in the manner which she did, One Kiss will tread a path towards the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) during Cup Week on 12 November at Riccarton - won last year by stable-mate The Perfect Pink (Savabeel) in a Te Akau first four.

“She's a really progressive sort of filly and it was a good effort to win a stakes' race second-up,” Walker said. “It was a lovely ride by Opie and she's still got improvement to come.”

Flying at the top of the Trainers' Premiership with 28 wins, Walker and Te Akau's team in the South Island have contributed 11 wins from 22 runners to that tally.

“It's quite incredible that Mark (Walker) has already trained 28 winners in the first six weeks of the season, and even when Jamie (Richards) broke the record with 160 wins in the 2020/21 season we'd only had 12 wins at the same stage,” Ellis added.

Also in the family of One Kiss is 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner and ill-fated stallion Atlante (Fastnet Rock).

One Kiss was strapped by Lydia Truesdale.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz