It was a great day of racing for the OTI team on Saturday with winners spread across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
Soverato at Kembla Grange
Exciting young filly Soverato made a winning breakthrough in the Super Maiden at Kembla Grange in just her second career start. The daughter of Vadamos, trained by Chris Waller, came to Australia after two impressive trials in New Zealand and has continued to progress since.
She’ll now enjoy a short break before returning to target the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes for 3yo fillies at Randwick in April. Should she continue her upward trajectory, an Oaks campaign, either in Sydney or Queensland may well be on the cards.
Skippers Canyon at Caulfield
Another promising New Zealand-sourced performer, Skippers Canyon, was impressive again on Saturday. The Belardo gelding, who won on Australian debut for Phillip Stokes in July, returned from a spell in great order to secure another strong victory over 1700m at Caulfield. Last the rail is rarely a nice place to be at any track, let alone Caulfield but it was hard not to be impressed with his sweeping victory.
He’ll likely step out again at Caulfield in two weeks’ time over 1800m, with the Listed Pakenham Cup firmly in his sights after that.
Bails at Gold Coast
The treble was completed at the Gold Coast with Bails breaking her maiden at start 2. This mare by Pierro is an OTI homebred out of Baileya – a half-sister to Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente.
Although a four-year-old, Bails is only in the early stages of her career being from a slower-maturing family, but her impressive second-up win for Matt Dunn shows she’s beginning to come into her own. She won in the manner of a horse who can win again!
It was a winning day all round for OTI connections with plenty more to come from these progressive and exciting horses.