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Recite takes out Levin Classic – the first leg of a GROUP ONE DOUBLE for Darci Brahma at Trentham…
January 30, 2014
The Oaks Stud homebred and John Bary-trained filly Recite (Darci Brahma) won yesterday’s Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) at Trentham to record her second Group One victory. She was one leg of a Group One double for her sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) with Irish Fling taking out the Telegraph Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) two races later. The son of Danehill (Danzig) stands at The Oaks Stud.
Having her second start in Group One company yesterday, Recite scored by half a length from stablemate Franzac (Iffraaj) with Aspen (Alamosa) third.
Coming off a win over 1300 metres earlier this month, the gelded Franzac led whilst Recite raced on his quarters. In the straight the filly under jockey Mark Du Plessis accelerated well when asked, whilst her stablemate stayed on for second.
“I thought Danielle [Johnson] rode a fantastic race on Franzac and took the pace off mid-stages and he’s proved he’s up to the big guns,” Bary said.
Recite, who won the Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Awapuni last March, was having her third start this preparation. Running second first up at the beginning of December she then finished fourth in the Eight Carat Classic (Gr 2, 1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
“It’s thanks to The Oaks Stud and Rick Williams and Dick Karreman over in Australia that they said put her out in the paddock and she’ll tell us when she’s right,” Bary said.
“It’s also a huge thank you to my staff – what a great result.”
Stud and racing manager at The Oaks Stud, Rick Williams added, “She’s grown and changed shape and she’s a different horse. It’s the best she’s ever looked and John set her for this race and good on him.”
Du Plessis was back on board Recite yesterday. The jockey rode her in her first Group One victory last year but had not ridden her on her first two starts this preparation.
“She flew the gates and got outside the leader and relaxed and travelled beautifully,” he said.
“The weight scale definitely helped and the tempo of the race was the winning of the race. She’s a very good filly and I’m rapt to have got back on her.”
Passed in for NZ$65,000 with a reserve of NZ$80,000 at the 2012 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, Recite (3 f Darci Brahma – Chant by Traditionally) has now won five of her nine starts for NZ$409,275 in prize money.
She is out of the New Zealand Champion 2YO Filly Chant (Traditionally) whose two foals to date have both won. Chant is out of Chantenay (Warning) who produced two other winners and is herself a daughter of the Irish Group Three winner Chanzi (El Gran Senor).
Two races after the Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) at Trentham, Irish Fling (Darci Brahma) scored her first victory at Group One level when taking out the Telegraph Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m). Also ridden by Mark Du Plessis who won the Levin Classic aboard Recite (Darci Brahma),
Irish Fling beat Natuzzi (Coats Choice) by a neck with Jaggard (Falkirk) a length and a quarter further back in third.
“It was a very brave effort and she got the perfect trip and I was lucky to get the split,” Du Plessis said.
“When we got off the junction I said just wait and I probably still went too soon, but she won well.”
Trained by Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen, Irish Fling was having her first start in Group One company yesterday. She won the Pegasus Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Riccarton Park on 9 November before finishing third in the Stewards Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), also at Riccarton Park, at her last start before yesterday.
“She’s a tough mare and I thought she might have been a bit short after she missed a race and she was only a stride away from being too short,” Lowry said.
“Grant [Cullen] has made a huge contribution to this and the rest of the staff at home, it’s a big team effort.”
The favourite Cauthen (Darci Brahma) and Ginner Hart (Volksraad) were late scratchings from yesterday’s race after the track had been upgraded half way through the day to a Fast 1 from a Good 2. Andrew Campbell is hopeful that Cauthen will race next Saturday before he returns to Australia for a second Australian campaign.
Irish Fling (5 m Darci Brahma – Irish Belle by O’Reilly) has won five times and been placed a further four times from 15 starts with her prize money now totalling NZ$210,375.
She is the only stakes winner out of the Listed placed O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) mare Irish Belle who is herself a daughter of the dual Group Two winner Society Bay (Zephyr Bay). Society Bay, who was also Group One placed, produced eight winners from ten foals to race including the stakes winners Society Beau (Bigstone) and Sandblaster (Sandtrap).
This is also the family of the 2009 Hong Kong Champions Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Sight Winner (Faltaat).
Irish Fling’s sister is catalogued as Lot 59 for next week’s New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale. She will be offered by Milan Park as Agent.
Story from: ANZ Bloodstock News