La Diosa connections now looking at Australia

Watch out Sydney. The Kiwis are sending another rising superstar your way.

The connections of three-yearold filly La Diosa are contemplating serving up more of what Sofia Rosa dished up to the Aussies last autumn.

Riccarton on Saturday hailed a day of firsts for a young jockey and the talented trainers of a special filly.

La Diosa’s dash to the 1000 Guineas winning post brought the first elite level success for trainers Mat and Mandy Brown and jockey Racha Cuneen.

They will now let the dust settle before sitting down and mapping out a path to Randwick and the A$1 million ATC Australian Oaks in April.

The race was won brilliantly by New Zealand filly Sofia Rosa last autumn.

Meantime the Ngapuke husband and wife training partners will catch their breath with a few days holiday in Melbourne and reflect on their greatest training success.

‘‘At this stage we are going to spell La Diosa for three or four weeks,’’ Mandy Brown said.

‘‘When we get back from Melbourne we’ll decide on what races we target. We’ll stay in our own age group and see if she sees out a trip.

‘‘She’s now got New Zealand Group I form and we want to see if she can measure up in Australia.’’

Her breeding suggests that won’t be a problem. By So You Think, La Diosa was bred by Terry Archer of Whangarei but her stout bloodlines flow with southern pride.

La Diosa’s dam Star Affair is a half sister to The Jewel and a product of the wonderful family developed by the Dennis brothers in Southland.

Her trainers have in mind to take La Diosa north to Ellerslie before they take on Sydney to ensure she can handle racing on right-handed tracks.

‘‘It would be silly to go over there [Sydney] without having a prior run right-handed,’’ Brown said.

Archer, joined in La Diosa’ ownership by Deborah Martin, Gordon Calder, Bruce Honeybone,grant Currie, Mike Gibson and Brooke Sipos, sent La Diosa to the Browns with the goal of winning the 1000 Guineas.

With that accomplished and the guineas celebrations enjoyed, they now hope to be raising glasses to Group I glory across the Tasman.

Cuneen had his greatest day in the saddle but it wended uncermeoniously when the filly ducked sideways after the post and deposited him on the Riccarton turf.

‘‘I think she shied at the clerk of the course’s horse and I wasn’t expecting it,’’ he said.