Reputabelle (NZ) Roars into NZB Southern Filly Contention
6 March 2022
Reputabelle (NZ) (Pins) was an unheralded maiden when Art De Triomphe (NZ) (Vadamos) took first blood in the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series in the early spring, but it was a very different story when the series resumed at Wingatui on Saturday.
Unplaced in all of her first three appearances, Reputabelle has turned the corner in recent weeks and headed into Saturday’s $60,000 Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) on a two-race winning streak. She proceeded to make it three in a row with a sensational performance, soaring to 7 points in the NZB Southern Filly Series and a share of the lead alongside Art De Triomphe.
The Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained filly was ridden by Tina Comignaghi, who gave her a comfortable run in midfield before releasing the brakes in the straight. She was little more than a passenger from there as Reputabelle bounded away, opening up a winning margin of five and three-quarter lengths over the second-placed Irish Red (NZ) (Burgundy).
The Pitmans are now setting their sights on the remaining two legs of the Southern Filly Series – the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton on April 9, and the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton on April 23.
“She’s a really nice filly,” Michael Pitman said. “You don’t see many horses win Listed races as easily as that – that was a big performance.
“This is a filly who’s really put everything together over the last few weeks. We knew that she was always going to be a nice horse – she just needed a little bit of time. We’re seeing the results now of that patient approach, and it’s very pleasing.
“I’m not sure that it was necessarily an exceptional field that she beat today, but she did it in very good style. She’ll carry on through the rest of the Southern Filly Series now, starting with the 1600-metre race at Riccarton and then stepping up to 2000 in the Warstep.
“A lot of fillies who are going well at this time of the year, you’re not sure how they’ll handle that trip when they get to the Warstep. But I think she’ll absolutely love it.”
Art De Triomphe and Reputabelle now share the lead with 7 points apiece, while Irish Red has 6 after placing in both of the first two legs. Sorrento (NZ) (Iffraaj) sits in third place 4 points, while Saturday’s third placegetter Just Maybe (NZ) (Tivaci) has 2.