Kaimai Stakes Success for Saint Alice

Well-related Karaka graduate Saint Alice (So You Think) enhanced her value with a tenacious black-type victory in Saturday’s $80,000 Listed Matamata Veterinary Services Equine Kaimai Stakes (2000m) at Matamata.

Racing in the colours of Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer’s Barneswood Farm, Saint Alice was a $220,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2019. Her 25-start career has now produced seven wins, seven placings and $225,637 in stakes, along with that all-important black type on her pedigree page.

Previously a placegetter in the Group Two Travis Stakes (2000m) and this month’s Group Three Taranaki Cup (1800m), Saint Alice earned her first black-type win with a hard-fought victory at Matamata.

The six-year-old settled on the outside of the leader through the early stages of the race, then quickened coming up to the home turn to stake her claim. She was quickly joined by Langkawi (NZ) (Helmet), with Aotea Lad (NZ) (Savabeel) charging through along the rail, but Saint Alice dug deep and held them both out in a tight finish.

“She really is a tough little biddy and she got left a sitting duck when she hit the lead,” said Dawn Williams, who trains in partnership with her husband Peter. “She loves a scrap though, and she put her head down and wouldn’t give in.

“When Aotea Lad dashed through on the inside, I thought she might be done, but that mental toughness kicked in and she fought back again.

“She has looked good in this preparation and we thought she was very good at New Plymouth on a track that was just too wet for her last time.

“She is hitting her peak now, so we have a few things to look forward to over the next couple of months, because she does handle cut in the ground and she is still fairly lightly raced.”

Saint Alice was bred by James Chapman, who offered her under his Jamieson Park banner at Karaka in 2019.

The Kaimai Stakes winner’s half-sister Arabian Songbird (NZ) (Pierro) was a $260,000 purchase from Karaka 2022 and has had a win and two placings from five starts in the Barneswood colours, while a colt by Almanzor was bought by Kiltannon Stables for $80,000 in Book 1 of Karaka 2024 last month.

All of the first three placegetters in Saturday’s Kaimai Stakes were Karaka graduates. Runner-up Langkawi was bought by Peter and Kim McKay for $55,000 from the 2017 Premier Sale, and he has earned $284,516 from a 67-start career that has produced six wins and 16 placings.

The third-placed Aotea Lad was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $200,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2018. He has had 43 starts for five wins, 16 placings and $421,842.

Vendor	Jamieson Park
Purchaser	Mr GC Beemsterboer (Netherlands)
Breeding	So You Think – Rare Delight
Sale	Lot 331, Karaka 2019 Book 1, $220,000
Bred by	Mr J Chapman