Winning Return for Champion Fastnet Rock Filly

Media Release - Saturday September 22

Last season's champion two-year-old Avantage was back doing what she does best when she opened her three-year-old season with a dogged winning performance at Hastings.

Avantage - Trish DunnellThe Fastnet Rock filly was only beaten once in six starts during her juvenile campaign where she captured the rich Listed Karaka Million (1200m) before going on to score at Group One level in the Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes (1400m).

Puts aside following that Awapuni triumph the Jamie Richards trained filly resumed with a quiet run at the Te Rapa trials last month before tackling Saturday's Gr.3 Hawke's Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) as her season opener.

After securing the coveted one barrier draw Avantage was sent out a warm favourite by punters with the well fancied local filly Xpression expected to pose her biggest threat. That scenario played out exactly as predicted as the pair set down to a tooth and nail struggle over the final stages of the contest with Avantage putting her head in front where it mattered most to score a narrow victory.

"She's such a racehorse and has the heart of a lion," rider Danielle Johnson said.

"There's tonnes of improvement in her with this just being her first run since her two-year-old campaign.

"She's got an exciting season ahead of her."

Richards cut a satisfied figure after the race as he waited for his charge to return to the winner's enclosure following confirmation of the final placings.

"She's a champion filly who has come back in really good order," he said.

"I had talked up the second horse all week, as I think she's a serious filly, so you've seen two promising horses.

"We were probably half a stride slow so had to use her up early which told a bit at the finish first-up but she will improve a lot from that."

Richards will now sit down with Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis to determine the path ahead for the filly who is being set for a tilt at the Gr.1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.

Avantage was a $210,000 purchase by Ellis from The Oaks Stud draft during the premier session of the 2017 National Yearling Sale at Karaka. She has now won six races for her owners, the Te Akau Avantage Syndicate and in excess of $806,000 in prizemoney. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Milestone for Fastnet Rock
Champion sire Fastnet Rock clocked up his 100th Graded stakes-winner at the weekend in the US when five year-old entire Desert Stone captured the Group II San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita.
$2000 Mare Wins Winton Cup
Exciting southern mare The Grey Goose continued her faultless preparation with an impressive performance to win Sunday’s Hyde Landscaping and Wash Rite Winton Cup (1400m) at Ascot Park.
Do Deuce From Last to First in Japan Cup
The visitors were once again humbled by the locals in the 44th running of Sunday’s Group 1 Longines Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo Racecourse.
Expensive Xtravagant Wins $1million Meteorite
The highest priced yearling by Xtravagant sold in 2022, progressive sprinter Nadal (Xtravagant) produced an explosive turn of foot to come from near last to win the inaugural running of today’s $1m The Ladbrokes Meteorite at Cranbourne.
New French Stakes-Winner for Churchill
Currently finishing his seventh season of shuttling to Coolmore Australia, Churchill has had a productive year and sired his 16th stakes-winner of 2024 when progressive three year-old filly Some Skye landed the Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau (1900m) at Chantilly.
Winx Foals a Snitzel Colt
The owners of Winx have announced the champion mare has foaled a healthy colt by Snitzel early on Monday morning.
$1million Fastnet Rock Colt Chasing Karaka Million 3YO
Victorian trainer David Hayes will be in New Zealand later this week as he puts the finishing touches on three-year-old colt Conqueror ahead of Saturday’s $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).
Sires With Winners - Sunday November 24
Here is the full list of 72 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Godolphin Make Their Move
The first two days at Magic Millions were without a Godolphin purchase, but they moved swiftly in the first hour of trade on Friday to secure two fillies by Fastnet Rock and Snitzel for $600,000 each.
Yulong Announce Sad Passing of G1 Winning Mare
Yulong released a video Tweet last week recapping their sensational spring carnival results and also revealing the passing of their dual Group I winning Frankel mare Hungry Heart.