Miss Ella (NZ) Adds to Go Racing’s Big Week

A big week for syndicators Go Racing and their Karaka graduates has been capped by a dominant performance by Miss Ella (NZ) (Iffraaj) in the $60,000 Listed Grangewilliam Stud Derryn Oaks Prelude (1600m).

The $240,000 Karaka 2020 Book 1 purchase added valuable black-type to her pedigree page at Pukekohe Park on Wednesday, just four days after Mightybeel (NZ) (Savabeel) carried the same blue-and-white colours to A$140,000 Listed Parramatta Cup (1900m) success in Sydney.

Trained by Stephen Marsh at Cambridge, Miss Ella showcased her spectacular talent with a 10-length maiden win at Rotorua in late December, which she followed up with a close sixth in last month’s $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.

She took another step forward on Wednesday, leading all the way in the hands of leading jockey Michael McNab.

After being pressured for most of the race by Gingerbread (NZ) (Vanbrugh), Miss Ella shook free in the straight and opened up a commanding margin. Despite a late surge from the second-placed Outfit (NZ) (Tivaci), Miss Ella maintained a comfortable winning margin of two and a half lengths.

Miss Ella has now had six starts for two wins, two placings and more than $64,000 in stakes, with the potential for a whole lot more to come.

“It’s been a little while coming, ending up in the ‘Naki twice,” said Marsh, referring to the abandonment of two previous New Plymouth meetings that were scheduled to feature the Oaks Prelude.

“But she is such a nice, relaxed filly, it didn’t seem to worry her too much, hence the reason we had a crack at this third running.

“She jumped and put herself there and travelled beautifully throughout. I thought her turn of foot at the top of the straight was good, and she won with a fair bit in hand.

“The postponements haven’t been ideal in terms of getting her to the Oaks (Group One, 2400m), but she is a stakes winner now, and she is beautifully bred. She is such a laid-back filly and a good type, so we are still a chance of getting there. It just means we have to run on Saturday week in the Sunline Vase (Group Three, 2100m), and then on to the Oaks if we can.”

Oaks Prelude third placegetter Miss Madison (NZ) (Astern) is also a Karaka graduate, bought for $100,000 by Hughes Bloodstock at the 2020 Ready to Run Sale. She has now added black type to a promising record that features a win and two placings from eight starts to date.