Valiant Vavasour wins Sir Tristram Fillies Classic G2
Vavasour was a standout filly in Haunui Farm’s 2013 New Zealand Premier Sale draft and on Saturday she stood up to be counted in the $100,000 Waikato RC Sir Tristram Fillies Classic 2000m G2.
The strapping daughter of Redoute’s Choice and Group 3 winner Our Valpolicella (by Red Ransom) came into the race with two wins and three placings, including a fighting last-start second to Saavoya in the ARC Royal S. G2 on New Year’s Day.
Vavasour jumped smartly from the gates and jockey Leith Innes was happy to let her roll forward and take up the lead. The filly settled beautifully, came under heavy pressure at the top of the straight and showed abundant courage to hold, then extend her advantage to three-quarters of a length. Saavoya, raced by a group of Dundeel’s owners, was a solid second, while Charmont finished third.
Vavasour’s winning time of 2:02.64 underlined the class of her performance, and the New Zealand Derby or Oaks, and possibly the Australian Oaks, now beckon. She is now on the leaderboard for the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series with 12 points, behind Saavoya (20 points) and Platinum Witness (18 points).
Dawn Williams, who trains Vavasour at Byerley Park, Karaka with her husband Peter, says, “She’s quite gutsy and a big, strong filly and that told in the end.
Rider Leith Innes hadn’t been given firm instructions to make the play out in front but the filly’s trainers weren’t worried by the tactics.
“If she’s comfortable leading that’s fine, at least she’s out of trouble. She dug deep and it was a very good effort.”
Bred by Garry Cranny, Cathy Franich’s Frantic Bloodstock & Haunui Farm, Vavasour was a $425,000 purchase for owners Chris & Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer.
Our Valpolicella, also the dam of Group 2 Melbourne winner Vilanova, is from the distinguished Haunui family of Group winners Ascending, Dopff, Currigee, Pussy Willow, Rizon, Ready To Lift & Sir Clive.
Vavasour is stakeswinner 122 for Redoute’s Choice, and the fifth Group winner to emerge so far from his 2011 crop, after Group 1 winners Hampton Court & Majmu and Arrowfield’s Group 3-winning colts Panzer Division & Scissor Kick.
Three hours after Vavasour’s win, Arrowfield’s 3YO colt Scissor Kick completed a valuable trans-Tasman Group race double for Redoute’s Choice by taking out the ATC Eskimo Prince S. G3, his third black type success.
Redoute’s Choice has notched up 11 stakeswinners this season, with three of them, Burnstone, Scissor Kick & Vavasour, scoring in the past fortnight. He has six yearlings catalogued for next month’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, among them two colts and a filly in the Arrowfield draft.
