Peach Cove Celebrates the Champagne Stakes
4 May 2015
Breaking her maiden status at stakes level was Peach Cove (NZ) (Buffalo Man) in the $50,000 Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton on Saturday.
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Peach Cove (NZ) wins the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes. |
The lightly raced Peach Cove has participated in two stakes races in her four start career. She finished runner-up in the Listed Welcome Stakes at Riccarton at her first attempt at stakes level, finishing second to race rival Jacquetta (NZ) (Keeper).
Trained by Mandy and Matt Brown, Peach Cove’s last start saw her place third behind race-favourite and rival Dezzies Dream (NZ) (Coats Choice) just two weeks ago.
“We were impressed at how she was able to get up and win from where she did,” commented Matt Brown. “It was a good run and we were very, very happy.
“David (Walsh) said she is still a little bit green, she took a bit of time to find her feet as she got knocked a couple of times in the race which made her a little unbalanced. When he got to the 300m, he said he gave her one behind the saddle and she just picked herself up.
“He got her out in the open and she just got down to work and ended up realizing how to actually gallop in the final couple hundred metres, she stretched out quite nicely. David was very happy with her and thought she will improve a lot.”
Taking the ride on Peach Cove for the first time was David Walsh, jumping her from the widest barrier in a 13-horse field. Peach Cove settled behind from mid-field, racing wide around Spiker (NZ) (Thewayyouare) while Velocci (NZ) (Cecconi) and Dezzies Dream shared the lead.
Racing down the home straight, Spiker swept to the lead while Peach Cove charged down the outside, storming home for victory by half-a-length over Spiker who finished in second place and Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi) taking third.
“At this stage she will go out for a spell. It was always the intention to put her out and she will come back in the spring and look at the Canterbury Belle Stakes and the filly races down here,” adds Brown.
The two-year-old filly has won $39,750 in prizemoney for her owners Ngapuke Racing Ltd and Totara Park Stud.
Sired by Totara Park Stud’s resident stallion Buffalo Man, Peach Cove is his second stakes winner for the sire with Brighton (NZ) (Buffalo Man) his first stakes winner, also as a two-year-old.
Bred by Totara Park Stud, who offered her at the 2014 Karaka Festival Sale, Peach Cove is out of winning mare Tennisciti Belle (Citidancer), dam of four winners with Peach Cove being her first stakes winner. Tennisciti Belle is a half-sister to stakes placegetter Majestic Feeling (Unbridled’s Song), second in the Listed Carrington Stakes.