Latta produced Dijon Bleu and Dreams Of Platinum in the field of seven starters with the pair dominating the event from go to whoa. Dijon Bleu made the best start and led out her stablemate, who tracked the speed throughout the contest.
The pair skipped away early in the run home to wage a titanic struggle over the closing stages with Burgundy filly Dijon Bleu bobbing at the right time to snatch victory by a nose from Dreams Of Platinum.
Matamata visitor Gold Fever, who started a warm favourite off the back of a smart debut win, closed hard in the final 50 metres but had to settle for third.
Latta admitted she held high hopes for the winner after she had trialled nicely at Waverley late last month.
"She had trialled up nicely and had also had a couple of jumpouts," she noted.
"She's always shown a bit although she went a little fierce today and wouldn't
come back to Kelly (McCulloch)."I was a little bit worried she wouldn't kick on in the straight but she did and held nicely in the end."
Dijon Bleu is the second winner for Cambridge Stud based stallion Burgundy from his first crop of New Zealand runners.
The filly holds a nomination for the rich Karaka Million that will be run at Ellerslie on the 29th of January, with her winnings from the victory lifting her into the top ten on the current list of qualifiers for the $1million event. – NZ Racing Desk
