OTI is delighted to have secured stakes-winning 2yo De Armas, who will now join Chris Waller in Sydney.
De Armas has shown exceptional talent across her first three starts in New Zealand and profiles as a filly with the class to excel through the latter part of her two-year-old season and into her three-year-old career.
Trained initially by Johno Benner, the daughter of Ardrossan made a huge impression when winning on debut by five lengths. She quickly backed that up with victory in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) at just her second start.
Most recently, she produced a performance full of merit when finishing fourth in the Listed Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m).
De Armas’ Listed victory.
Quotes from the NZ Racing News article can be found below.
“OTI have been interested in her the whole way through, but post Karaka Millions, we decided to sell her early, simple as that,” Benner said.
“She goes to Chris Waller and she will head to Australia on Sunday. She’s got a great brain and hopefully she acquits herself really well in Australia.”
Respected bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo was delighted to secure De Armas for successful syndicators OTI.
“When you look at her performances, every time she has been out she has shown real brilliance,” Cataldo said.
“She had three trials, one before she raced and the other two between runs and blitzed them on all three occasions. She spaced them on debut, then two months later won easily at Listed level going right handed for the first time.
“The rub of the green went against her in the Karaka Millions, covering ground but she was still good enough to run the fastest closing 400m and 200m sectionals, which was a top performance under the circumstances.
“To me she is the best two-year-old filly going forward. Her athleticism and scope excites me, as does the physical improvement she has to come.
“She’s a class act with a great stride and bombproof temperament.
“I see her as an ideal filly for the Princess Series in Sydney in the Spring. No doubt she will run 1600m and possibly further.
“She has been magnificently prepared by Johno Benner and now goes to Chris Waller, so from one top trainer to another. I’m sure she will represent OTI and the NZ suffix with distinction.”
The full article can be found here.