Trained by Yasuhito Tamura, the pure white two year-old filly was successful over 2600m at
Hakodate in her fourth race day appearance having placed third earlier this
year over 1800 metres.Casta Diva was bred by Windsor Park Stud and sold at the 2016 NZB Premier Yearling Sale where she was bought by Japanese based the Dearest Club for $450,000.
She is out of the pure white winning Zabeel mare The Opera House, a three-quarter sister to the former two-time Australian Horse of the Year Might And Power.
The Opera House was a rare white beauty that dropped seemingly from the sky given her sire Zabeel is a bay and her dam Carmina Burana was a chestnut daughter of Star Way (GB).
Carmina Burana was bought by Star Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale back in 1997 for $32,000.
She proved to have very limited ability as a racehorse and after two lacklustre barrier trials for Gai Waterhouse was looking down the barrel of retirement when an amazing thing happened.
"Might and Power appeared on the scene," recalled Denise Martin.
"He was the older half-brother to Carmina Burana and all of a sudden she was worth serious money.
"I'd gone out on a limb to buy her as I just loved her and I even named her after my favourite opera."
When Might and Power showed his hand, what was looking like a disappointing purchase suddenly became an inspired one!
"It seems incredible that after all these years, she's the grand-mother of these unique white horses that make news around the world," Martin reflected.
"It just goes to show, you never know what's going to happen when you buy a horse."
The Opera House had another white Shamexpress colt sold earlier this year for
$510,000 to the China Horse Club and Ciaron Maher Bloodstock.She also produced yet another white foal last spring for Windsor Park Stud, a filly by their young sire Charm Spirit (IRE).
After a hat-trick of white foals the big questions is will there be more white magic at Windsor Park this spring as The Opera House is due to foal again, this time to New Zealand Horse of the Year Mongolian Khan.
