Diss Is Dramatic (NZ) Too Strong in Japan Trophy

Syndicators Go Racing have enjoyed an outstanding few weeks with their Karaka graduates, and that purple patch continued with proven mare Diss Is Dramatic (NZ) (Dissident) in Saturday’s $175,000 Group Two Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga.

The Japan Trophy was the sixth win and fourth at stakes level for Diss Is Dramatic, who has earned $349,695 in stakes from a 21-start career. Go Racing bought her for $60,000 from the Book 1 draft of breeders Cambridge Stud at Karaka 2021.

Diss Is Dramatic’s Tauranga triumph comes after Go Racing’s $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) heroine Velocious (Written Tycoon) claimed Group One spoils in the Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on March 9, while multiple Group One winner Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) won the Group Two Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington a week earlier.

Saturday’s Japan Trophy came down to survival of the fittest as significant rain saw the track deteriorate into the heavy range. Diss Is Dramatic’s jockey Matt Cameron gave her a comfortable midfield run, well away from the rail, then came wide in search of better ground in the straight.

Diss Is Dramatic surged to the lead with 50 metres remaining and withstood a late challenge from Mali Ston (NZ) (El Roca) to win by a head. That pair had drawn more than two lengths clear of the remainder of the field.

“It was my first ride on the horse and I don’t know her that well, but her connections told me she might hit a bit of a flat spot across the top,” Cameron said. “She definitely did that and I didn’t know where I was going to end up.

“But we got to the outside in the straight and she was very tough. She kept giving.”

The Japan Trophy now sits alongside the Group Three Thompson Handicap (1600m), Group Three War Decree Stakes (1600m) and Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) on the CV of Diss Is Dramatic, who is trained by Lisa Latta at Awapuni.

“That was a great effort and a perfect ride by Matt,” Latta said. “He had her nicely placed throughout and got her to the outside just when he needed to.

“She is a very gutsy mare and she has performed on wet tracks before. Being able to get to the place in the track where it wasn’t as bad as on the inside helped, and so did carrying only 54 kilograms.

“We will take her home and have a think about races we could target next. The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Group One, 1600m) is an obvious one, but races like the Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (Group Three, 2100m) or the Travis Stakes (Group Two, 2000m) also hold a lot of appeal. Wherever we go, we think she can be competitive.”

Vendor	Cambridge Stud
Purchaser	Go Racing (Auckland)
Breeding	Dissident – Our Drahma Queen
Sale	Lot 14, Karaka 2021 Book 1, $60,000
Bred by	B J Lindsay MNZM & Mrs J E A Lindsay

 

Photo : Race Images