Black-type Breakthrough for Dijon Bleu (NZ)

Burgundy filly Dijon Bleu (NZ), who cost just $26,000 at the 2016 Select Sale, provided an outstanding return on that investment and took a massive step forward from her two-year-old season with an easy win in the $50,000 Listed O’Leary’s Fillies’ Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui on Wednesday.

The Lisa Latta-trained filly showed top-notch potential in three starts last season, beating subsequent Group 2 winner Gold Fever in a debut victory before running an unlucky fifth in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes and a close ninth in the Karaka Million.

After resuming with a third placing at Taupo in August, Dijon Bleu stepped back up to black-type level on Wednesday and did it in style.

Ridden by Jonathan Riddell, the filly sat in behind the leaders before racing away in the last 200 metres to score by four and a half lengths.

“The trip to Taupo has really made her,” Latta said. “She has really gone forward since then and I couldn’t be happier. There’s a lot of options for her.”

Latta is keen to take Dijon Bleu south for the prestigious Group 1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.

The Robinson Family Trust-bred Dijon Bleu is now the winner of two of her five starts, including Wednesday’s black-type success, for prizemoney earnings of $57,700 – more than double her purchase price.

Dijon Bleu became the second stakes winner from the first crop of Burgundy, a $1.3 million purchase at the 2010 Premier Sale who was a multiple stakes winner and has made an exciting start at Cambridge Stud. His other black-type winner was Hard Merchandize (NZ), who took out last season’s Castletown Stakes.

The Fillies’ Stakes was one of two wins on the day for Latta with Karaka graduates. She also produced the Nadeem colt Sir Nate (NZ) to score a gritty win in the $10,000 Vespa Standing at Wellfield Lodge Juvenile Plate (790m). Latta has Karaka Million aspirations for her $65,000 Select Sale purchase.

“I bought him at the sales and syndicated him among a great group of owners, both previous clients and first-time owners,” the Awapuni trainer said. “This is a great result.

“He’s a big, strong colt and he’s improved a lot since his first trial. There’s still a heap of improvement left in him.

“We’ll see how he comes through this, but the plan will probably be to give him a month off at some stage. Ideally we’d all love to get to the Karaka Million.”