More Stakes Success for Kekova (NZ)

Tough mare Kekova (NZ) (Elusive City x Racing Waters) raced to her second stakes win on Saturday in the $50,000 Listed Reynolds Electrical Great Easter Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton, the first leg of a stakes winning double for her sire Elusive City.

The David Haworth & Matt Dixon trained Kekovahas been racing in good form and celebrated her breakthrough black-type win in the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes three starts ago under jockey Lisa Allpress.

Kekova will now be spelled ahead of a spring campaign

Allpress was in the saddle again on Saturday and she kept Kekova prominent in the running setting her out after Our Genes in the straight who was game in defeat as the five-year-old mare raced to a convincing 1.75 length win.  

“I was concerned with the heavy track but she handled it well,” commented co-trainer David Haworth. “She has been up all season and has done very well so she is now enjoying a deserved spell at Little Avondale Stud.

“She will have about six weeks off before we bring her back into training and get her ready for the spring and perhaps the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate. She also has a pencil booking to Savabeel so we will see how she comes up in the spring before we make any final decisions to her future.”

Kekova was bred by Little Avondale Stud and was offered at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2009 Karaka Premier Sale where she failed to meet reserve. Little Avondale Stud now lease her to the Bleap Syndicate for which she has won seven of her 27 starts for $138,428 in stakes.

Kekova was the first of a stakes winning double for her sire Elusive City who later on Saturday saw Famous Seamus win the A$175,000 Listed Prime Minister's Cup (1300m) at the Gold Coast. The Saturday stakes double was Elusive City’s second in the last three weeks.

New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale will be held at Karaka from this Wednesday 8 May to Friday 10 May from 10am each day. To view the catalogue online, click here.