With an awesome display of speed and endurance, two-year-old filly Luna Rossa swept to victory in the Gr1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes Gr1, 1400m on Saturday at Awapuni in NZ, continuing her sire’s incredible run in juvenile stakes races this season.
By the same sire as this year’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic (LR 1200m) and Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner
Capitalist (Written Tycoon), this daughter of Written Tycoon (Iglesia) made it back-to-back wins and her first in stakes company.
The
Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained filly settled well back in the field and was still a long way from the leader with 200 metres to go but when the filly was eased to the she charged home on the Heavy 10 track to win by nearly half a length from Sicario (Bullbars).
Luna Rossa’s stablemate Saracino (Per Incanto) set a strong tempo in the lead for Johnathan Parkes, who elected to stick closest to the inside rail, and battled on gamely to hold third, three quarters of a length from the winner.
Forsman said the efforts of his stablemates were “gutsy” given the testing heavy conditions.
“They had never galloped on that sort of track before so it was hard to be confident,” Forsman said.
“Both of them will be better horses with time and they did well to get here, let alone run so well. They are both going to make really nice three-year-olds.”
Luna Rossa is her dam’s only foal, (2yo f Written Tycoon – Wild Promises by More Than Ready). She is out of Wild Promises, who won 2 races and was city placed in Brisbane and is a half-sister to the Group-placed, three-time winner - Red Fez (Red Ransom).
Luna Rossa’s second dam Otravez (Redoute’s Choice) is a half-sister to stakes winner Listen Here (Elusive Quality) the dam of Group One winner Shooting To Win (Northern Meteor) and Group Two winning sprinter Deep Field (Northern Meteor), both of whom are at stud here in Australia.
Luna Rossa has had 5 starts for 2 wins, 1 second, 1 third with total prize money of NZ$155,900.
“She’s a Group One winner by Written Tycoon so she’s a very, very valuable filly now,” Forsman said.
Forsman said Luna Rossa would be spelled and prepared for spring 3yo races.
The glamour colt HEROIC VALOUR – winner of the Gr1 Diamond Stakes 1200m at his previous start was a Late Scratching as the rain fell and the track downgraded to a Heavy 10 during the day. The battle between these two would have been something to behold but it was not to be.
Our Filly by Written Tycoon x Special Episode
Dynamic Syndications purchased a magnificent yearling filly at the Melbourne Premier Sale this year by the boom sire Written Tycoon from a half-sister to Gr1 Winner FIRST SEAL whilst her Grand-dam is EPISODE – a dual Gr1 Oaks Winner. She is in the care of MICK PRICE at Caulfield. 5% Shares are $8,225.
