Lekvarte (NZ) Lands Group Two

Moving into the final few weeks of her racing career, Karaka graduate Lekvarte (NZ) (Reliable Man) broke through the A$1m barrier with her fourth black-type success in Tuesday’s A$300,000 Group Two Cincotta Chemist Emancipation Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

Lekvarte was bought by BK Racing & Breeding and Andrew Williams Bloodstock for $210,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2020, where she was offered by Westbury Stud. Her 36-start career has now produced 10 wins, three seconds, two thirds and A$1.14m.

The Emancipation Stakes was the first Group Two win for Lekvarte, who had previously taken out the Group Three Aspiration Quality (1600m), Angst Stakes (1600m) and Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m). She has also finished fourth in the Group Two Golden Pendant (1400m), fifth in the Group Two Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) and sixth in the Group One Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).

The six-year-old produced her customary flying finish from the back of the field on Tuesday, rocketing home from second-last to edge out the Group One-performed three-year-old filly Lazzura (Snitzel) by a short head.

“Joe gave me great confidence going in and said she's in really good condition,” jockey Josh Parr said. “I couldn't believe the power that she gave me when she travelled up behind them and then got clear air and let go. It is a fun job at times, I'll tell you.”

Lekvarte has become a stable favourite for Pride, who is preparing to farewell the classy grey at the conclusion of her autumn campaign.

“She'll have one more run in the Queen Of The Turf (Group One, 1600m), but she's done her job in so many ways already,” the Warwick Farm trainer said. “It’s great to get another good win out of her today. It’ll be a sad day when she finishes.

“She's a lovely mare. It was an excellent win and it’s nice to see a mare at her age still racing on so well.

“Gee, she sprinted quickly on that ground today. If you look at her form, she has been a horse who has previously struggled on wet ground. That was a really good run and a valuable Group Two win.”