First to salute was the Mick Price trained Bernardini (USA) filly Windbern, who
took the 1200 metre three year-old fillies maiden by a nose as favourite over
the fast finishing debutante Simply Heaven, a three-quarter sister to Group I
winner Lights of Heaven.Both winner and runner-up will be worth following as there was nearly three lengths back to the next horse.
Windbern is a homebred for Bill Frost and his family and is the second winner for former smart Fastnet Rock mare Jolie Brise, who was fourth in the Group I MRC Thousand Guineas.
Now based at Jindera Park, Duporth has been an in-form sire in recent months with Hey Doc, his current star following a win in the Group II MVRC Stutt Stakes and a good third in the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas.
He featured at Pakenham with a debut victory for his three year-old son Magellan, who is from the handy Flying Spur stakes-winner Gawne.
Sent out favourite for the open 1200 metre maiden, the Jim Moloney trained Magellan was in an awkward spot coming to the turn buried back in the field on the fence, but when he saw daylight quickly put himself into the picture to win by a long neck.
A homebred for Meridy Taite and Julia Sampson, who raced his mother Gawne, Magellan is the third winner from three foals to race from his dam, who has a yearling colt also by Duporth.
