Black Type Wins for Zennista & Dame Claire

Tough mares Zennista (NZ) and Dame Claire (NZ) both raced to significant milestones on Saturday picking up valuable black-type wins at Awapuni and Flemington respectively.

The Lisa Latta trained Zennista (Zenno Rob Roy x Zarnitsa) was the first of the pair to secure her stakes victory when producing a big performance in the Listed 138th James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m).

The four-year-old mare stalked her rivals coming into the straight and proved a class above as she raced clear on the outside in a powerful display to claim her deserved first stakes victory by three-and-a-quarter-lengths.

Running a brilliant second in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks last season, Zennista has been racing in top form and came into the Listed contest after running second in the Listed Rotorua Stakes to Oak Park (More Than Ready) at her last start.

The breakthrough victory was jockey Darryl Bradley's 100th race win for trainer Lisa Latta. The mare will now be freshened for a possible tilt at the Group 3 Winter Cup at Riccarton.

Bred by John Berger, Zennista was offered by Oxford Thoroughbreds at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Karaka Festival Sale and was purchased by Lisa Latta Racing Stables for $20,000.

Raced by N Cantwell, P Dudding, D Robinson, W Flipp, L Pratt, R Pratt & L Reilly, Zennista has now won over $165,000 in stakes.

On the other side of the Tasman, the honest mare Dame Claire (Danehill Dancer x Lovely Actress) made it back-to-back victories at Flemington in the A$150,000 Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m).

Trained by Pat Carey, the four-year-old mare led the field throughout the demanding 3200 metre trip in the hands of jockey Craig Newitt and was five lengths clear at the 1200 metres. Maintaining her strong gallop into the straight, she proved too hardy for her rivals as she raced home to record a one-and-a-quarter-length victory.

Her fifth win from 24 starts, the race was her second attempt at black-type level and she came into the contest having won over 2800 metres on the track on May 5 beating the stakes winning Karaka graduate Almodovar (Pins) by just short of three lengths.

Bred by Monovale Holdings, Dame Claire was offered by Monovale Farm at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Karaka Premier Sale and was purchased by Pat Carey for $30,000. She has now won just shy of $250,000 in stakes.