Luna Rossa
Race Images Palmerston North
Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman went close to a Group One quinella at Awapuni with a duo they thought were a season away from making their mark at the top level.
Luna Rossa rattled home to claim Saturday's Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes from Sicario with the winner's Cambridge stablemate Saracino a game third.
"They were gutsy runs from both of them," Forsman said. "Both of them will be better horses with time and they did well to get here, let alone run so well. They are both going to make really nice three-year-olds."
The heavy going at Awapuni was another curve ball tossed at the lightly-tried pair on Saturday.
"They had never galloped on that sort of track before so it was hard to be confident," Forsman said.
Luna Rossa had weighed in at her first three starts, including a late-finishing fifth in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes, before her maiden win at Trentham sealed a return to the central districts from her Cambridge base.
She settled toward the back of the field and powered home wide on the track under Lisa Allpress to end her two-year-old preparation on a perfect note.
"She's a Group One winner by Written Tycoon so she's a very, very valuable filly now," Forsman said.
She is raced by her breeders John, Mark and Rachael Carter under their Jomara Bloodstock banner and her victory completed a memorable black type double as they also own the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic winner Humidor.
Luna Rossa will now be spelled and her barn mate Saracino is also headed for a break after his bold front-running effort for third with the strapping Sicario, trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, splitting the Baker-Forsman pair with a strong showing at just his second appearance. – NZ Racing Desk.
Luna Rossa rattled home to claim Saturday's Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes from Sicario with the winner's Cambridge stablemate Saracino a game third.
"They were gutsy runs from both of them," Forsman said. "Both of them will be better horses with time and they did well to get here, let alone run so well. They are both going to make really nice three-year-olds."
The heavy going at Awapuni was another curve ball tossed at the lightly-tried pair on Saturday.
"They had never galloped on that sort of track before so it was hard to be confident," Forsman said.
Luna Rossa had weighed in at her first three starts, including a late-finishing fifth in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes, before her maiden win at Trentham sealed a return to the central districts from her Cambridge base.
She settled toward the back of the field and powered home wide on the track under Lisa Allpress to end her two-year-old preparation on a perfect note.
"She's a Group One winner by Written Tycoon so she's a very, very valuable filly now," Forsman said.
She is raced by her breeders John, Mark and Rachael Carter under their Jomara Bloodstock banner and her victory completed a memorable black type double as they also own the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic winner Humidor.
Luna Rossa will now be spelled and her barn mate Saracino is also headed for a break after his bold front-running effort for third with the strapping Sicario, trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, splitting the Baker-Forsman pair with a strong showing at just his second appearance. – NZ Racing Desk.