NZ bred filly Casta Diva (inside) set for Tokyo debut
Unique filly Casta Diva will make her debut at Tokyo racecourse on Sunday.
The New Zealand bred daughter of High Chaparral and the Zabeel mare The Opera House was sold to Japanese owner Hideo Takadaru of the Dearest Club at last year's New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.
Takadaru, like many others, was attracted by the filly's unusual pure white colour and it took a bid of $450,000 to secure the rare thoroughbred.
Despite being a two-year-old by southern hemisphere time, Casta Diva will compete against northern hemisphere three-year-olds in the newcomers event over 1800m.
Bred by Windsor Park Stud, who sold a white half brother by Shamexpress to Casta Diva for $510,000 at the recent New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales, the filly will race in front of a big crowd, where the feature race is the Gr.1 February Stakes (1600m).
Casta Diva is trained by Yasuhito Tamura, who prepared 2015 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Major Emblem.
The New Zealand bred daughter of High Chaparral and the Zabeel mare The Opera House was sold to Japanese owner Hideo Takadaru of the Dearest Club at last year's New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.
Takadaru, like many others, was attracted by the filly's unusual pure white colour and it took a bid of $450,000 to secure the rare thoroughbred.
Despite being a two-year-old by southern hemisphere time, Casta Diva will compete against northern hemisphere three-year-olds in the newcomers event over 1800m.
Bred by Windsor Park Stud, who sold a white half brother by Shamexpress to Casta Diva for $510,000 at the recent New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales, the filly will race in front of a big crowd, where the feature race is the Gr.1 February Stakes (1600m).
Casta Diva is trained by Yasuhito Tamura, who prepared 2015 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Major Emblem.
Casta Diva after exercise at the pre-trainers in Hokkaido
Casta Diva sells as a yearling at Karaka for $450,000
Casta Diva as a weanling
Rodney Schick with Casta Diva as a foal and her mother The Opera House at Windsor Park Stud