Winner: Thumbs Up Thumbelina

Making it look easy, Thumbelina (3 f Per Incanto – Matauri, by Ocean Park) won the $25,000 Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Maiden Fillies & Mares 1200 metres (eligible $26,000 bonuses) on 13 March at Pukekohe.

In the process of winning, Thumbelina joined stable-mate She Suits Herself (Savile Row), who won earlier on the programme, while becoming the 10th winner in nine days for reigning Champion Trainers and premiership leaders Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson.

A trial winner in November at Waipa, Thumbelina made an inauspicious start for the stable when getting things wrong and receiving a leg laceration in the Maiden 1100 metres on 16 January at Te Rapa, but made amends with a huge finish for third (fastest last 600m (33.0) on day) in the Maiden 1100 metres on 25 February at Pukekohe, and rated a top three chance despite drawing the outside gate (11).

Ridden by Craig Grylls, who also won aboard She Suits Herself, Thumbelina was back early, improved to fifth at the 800m, ranged three-wide on the leaders turning for home, and raced clear under minimal persuasion to score by three and a quarter-lengths.

Winning at her fourth start, in the manner she did, suggests there is much more to come from the filly that stems from a terrific family.

On Soft5 footing, Thumbelina ran 1200 metres in a polished 1:10.0, last 600m in 33.3 (approx.), and easily justified her $2.60 & $1.50 favouritism on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It was a big effort to win, today, as she didn’t have any favours in the running whatsoever and made a long-sustained run to get handy and go on and win,” Walker said.

“She was really dominant to draw away in the final furlong, and it was our assistant trainer Reece Trumper that introduced her owners to the stable, so well to Cliff, Katrina, and to Reece.

“She’s a filly with a lot of natural ability, still has plenty of development to come physically, and I think they’re going to have a lot of fun with her in the future.”

In training for owners Cliff Matson and Katrina Dansted, Thumbelina is by the in-form sire Per Incanto, a son of Street Cry (Machiavellian), the same sire at the incomparable Winx, winner of 25 Group One races.

A dual Champion Sire in Hong Kong, Per Incanto is continuing to grow in stature as an elite international sire, which saw him win the Centaine Award for top worldwide progeny earnings in 2024/25, where $20 million in prize money surpassed that of 10-time Champion Sire Savabeel (Zabeel).

Per Incanto even rose to 15th in the Australian General Sires’ List – a remarkable feat – with triple Group One winner Jimmysstar and Group One winner Gringotts, while also siring dual NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner Belclare. 

Out of the debut winning filly Matauri, by another sire that is having a great run at present, Ocean Park (Thorn Park), Thumbelina is from a family nurtured by breeders Don & Rochelle McLaren, in conjunction with Haunui Farm. 

Matauri is a half-sister to Francee (Iffraaj), whom Te Akau recently trained for Haunui Farm to win four races and she provided the trainers with their 18th stakes win last season when winning the Rangitkei Cup (Listed, 1600m).

The dam of the pair, Calveen (Canny Lad), won 10 races and over $500,000 in stakes, impressed winning Group races over 1600 metres, including the Easter Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m), and along with her dam, Calvinia (Varick), became a very good producer.

Including Francee and winner of five and Group Three placed Delveen (Encosta de Lago), Calveen produced six individual winners, while third dam Calvinia (Varick) left 10 individual winners of 40 races and over $1.5 million in stakes. 

Thumbelina has a nice influence breed-shaping sire Mr. Prospector in her pedigree, on the sire line of Per Incanto and dam line of Matauri. 

Thumbelina was strapped by Rhiannon Smith. 

Photo credit - Kenton Wright - www.raceimages.co.nz