Costume Looking Good for Waikato Stud

It was the colours of Waikato Stud that were the best dressed at Hastings on Saturday with Costume (NZ) (Savabeel) carrying the stud’s silks to victory in the Group 1 $250,000 Livamol Classic (2040m).

Costume (NZ) bursts to victory in the Group 1 Livamol Classic at Hastings. Photo courtesy of Race Images.

Let go by punters, Costume was sent out at a price of $52.40 but proved too good for her more fancied rivals in a close finish with less than half-a-length between the first four placings.

It was the first of three Group 1 victories on the weekend for Waikato Stud sires with fellow Savabeel mare Lucia Valentina (NZ) shining brightly in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington and O’Reilly’s superstar in Singapore War Affair (NZ) capturing his second win at the elite level with victory in the Sgp-1 Kranji Mile.

Trained by Graeme & Debbie Rogerson, Costume entered the race having had two runs this campaign when she was well-beaten in the Group 3 Foxbridge Plate and Group 1 Windsor Park Plate.

Costume, who has been served by Pins, settled behind mid-field for regular rider Michael Coleman who rode her to her first Group 1 victory earlier this year in the Herbie Dyke Stakes. Stablemate Soriano (NZ), also by Savabeel, had shot to the front but Costume surged between runners to land the victory by half-a-head over Shuka (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) who nabbed Soriano for second placing and provided Karaka graduates with the trifecta.

“It was and wasn’t a surprise,” commented Debbie Rogerson. “We were very disappointed in her last start, we might be able to put that down to the track not being to her liking. When you analysed the field, she was one of the few horses proven as a Group 1 winner at weight-for-age.

“She was suited by the conditions of the race and she is proven over 2000m so it was a bit surprising why she paid so much.

“She will probably head to the Group 1 races at Ellerslie at the end of the year but we will sit down with Gary Chittick to formulate a plan.

“Savabeel is going fantastic – to have two Group 1 winners on the weekend is superb.”

Saturday’s victory was Costume’s sixth win from 22 starts in a career which has yielded $385,925 so far for owner Gary Chittick of Waikato Stud who also bred her. She was offered at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale by Waikato Stud but failed to meet her reserve.

Costume is the second stakes winner out of O’Reilly mare Disguised following the Listed Soliloquy Stakes winner Masquerade (No Excuse Needed). Disguised is a half-sister to Listed winner Liffey Lace (Sagave) being out of Liffey (Irish River), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Godswalk (Dancer’s Image).

Costume’s win was one of four Group 1 victories for Karaka graduates on the weekend with Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel), First Seal (Fastnet Rock) & War Affair (NZ) (O’Reilly) all successful at the highest level.