Dijon Bleu races away
BUSY is best for New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year frontrunner Dijon Bleu.
The Awapuni three-year-old won the first leg of the series, the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and subsequently placed in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1550m).
She then posted a dominant victory in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) and at Te Rapa on Saturday she produced a commanding display to waltz away with the Gr.2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (2000m).
Dijon Bleu now has 30 points in the Filly of the Year series with her closest rival Contessa Vanessa on 13.5.
Trainer Lisa Latta has yet to fully commit Dijon Bleu to next month’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m), but it’s becoming hard to argue against.
‘‘We’ll head to the Lowland Stakes first and take it from there, she’s been up a long time,’’ she said.
Dijon Bleu was making her first start beyond a mile at Te Rapa and she took it all in her stride for rider Jonathan Riddell, who replaced a suspended Leith Innes.
They settled back of midfield and when gaps opened in the straight the filly sprinted to the front 300m from home and forged clear for a hollow victory.
‘‘I said to Jonathan to put her to sleep somewhere so she could relax,’’ Latta said. ‘‘There’s a lot of fillies in there bred to stay and she’s not, but she has got a blistering turn of foot.’’
Dijon Bleu had three-quarters of a length on Mark Two, who came from last, at the post with Milseain third ahead of Rondinella.
‘‘I did all the twoyear-old work on her and it’s a credit to Lisa to have kept her up for a while,’’ Riddell said. ‘‘She’s just a class horse.’’ ● Explosive pace earned Shamexpress Group One sprinting honours and shades of that were on show at Riccarton on Saturday when the Windsor Park Stud resident sired his first winner.
The well-credentialled stallion’s daughter Xpressmymind flew the outside gate in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Race (900m) to cross the field and lead under rider Courtney Barnes.
She travelled comfortably and sprinted clear in the run home to turn the tables on Miroslava, who had beaten her on debut last month when Xpressmymind had sat wide without cover.
‘‘She’s a really nice filly who hasn’t done anything wrong,’’ part-owner and trainer Andrew Carston said.
‘‘It’s been a good team effort and they’re only two once so as long as she comes through this race well we’ll go again.’’
Windsor Park studmaster Rodney Schick was understandably delighted and far from surprised by the result.
‘‘It’s great for Andrew and he had told me that she was a really smart filly,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s really exciting and great to get that first winner under his belt. He’s had very good books of mares and his yearlings have sold well.’’
Shamexpress was the Group One winner of the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) before his retirement to the Cambridge nursery.
He is a New Zealand-bred son of O’Reilly, who on Friday evening was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall Of Fame, and the Volksraad mare Volksrose.