Brother to Diademe at Karaka 2014

The extremely consistent mare Diademe (NZ) (Savabeel) was able to go one better than her runner-up placing in the same race last year with victory in the Group 2 $85,000 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) on Saturday at Te Rapa.

Diademe (NZ) triumphant in the Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes at Te Rapa. Photo courtesy of Trish Dunell.

A full-brother to Diademe is catalogued as Lot 388 in the upcoming Premier Sale in Waikato Stud’s draft at Karaka 2014.

The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman trained filly was a close second in last year’s running of the event when beaten by multiple Group 1 winner Shez Sinsational (NZ) (Ekraar). The consistent mare has only missed earning her owners a cheque twice in her 15-start career.

The five-year-old mare entered the race third up this preparation having finished an unlucky sixth at her last start in the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.

Ridden by leading jockey Leith Innes, Diademe went straight to the front from the 1600m start and was able to dictate the pace of the race. Around the 600m mark Innes put pressure on the field as he increased the tempo, leaving the rest of the field flat-footed and on entering the straight the pair had opened up a sizable margin.

There was no catching Diademe as the lead she had created at the top of the straight proved more than adequate to hold of the fast-finishing Zurella (NZ) (Zabeel) to win by 1.1 lengths in a quick time of 1.33.97 on the Good 3 track.

“The horse had been working well so we were quite confident heading into the race,” commented Baker. “She ran second in the race last year to Shez Sinsational who was the best mare in New Zealand at the time.

“She has been a pretty good mare so it was no surprise to see her win at Group 2 level.

“I knew she would be hard to pull back when Leith Innes took off at the 600m because she has a high cruising speed.

“We have had success with the colours before with Mr Tipsy carrying the same colours and Bjorn has had a bit of success with them, I think he has won ten races in the last 18 months with them.”

Saturday’s feature race win was the fifth career victory for Diademe and her second at stakes level. She has now earned her owner, Scott Richardson Bloodstock Ltd, $194,521 in prizemoney.

She continues the great success for her sire Savabeel who is enjoying a stellar season with Diademe becoming the eighth individual stakes winner for the season for the Waikato Stud-based sire.

Bred by Garry Chittick of Waikato Stud, Diademe is out of the unraced O’Reilly mare Bling, a half-sister to the Australian stakes winner Plaudits (Danasinga). This is a true Waikato Stud family with the second dam Night Star by the Stud’s foundation sire Centaine.

Scott Richardson Bloodstock purchased Diademe at the 2010 Karaka Premier Sale for $50,000 from Waikato Stud.