Romancing The Moon (NZ) Triumphs in Levin Classic

A well-related filly who has held her own against the best of her age group all through the season, Romancing The Moon (NZ) (El Roca) stepped into the spotlight at Trentham on Saturday with a mighty performance to win the $350,000 Group One Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors Levin Classic (1600m).

Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis paid only $50,000 to buy Romancing The Moon from Westbury Stud’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2021. Her 11-start career has now produced four wins, four second placings and $327,695 in stakes.

By high-class racehorse and successful sire El Roca, Romancing The Moon is the first foal out of Underthemoonlight (NZ) (El Hermano) – the winner of six races including the Group Two Foxbridge Plate (1200m), and a third placegetter in the Group One Tarzino Trophy (1400m).

Romancing The Moon was a two-time stakes placegetter in the spring, including a notable second placing in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) – a race that was won by the subsequent two-time Group One winner Legarto (NZ) (Proisir), with Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) and Group One winner Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) in third.

The creditable performances have carried on since then, including a fourth in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and a five-length romp in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) earlier this month, but on Saturday she went to an all-new level.

Ridden positively by Kozzi Asano, Romancing The Moon went forward out of the starting gates to sit in second place behind a rapid pace set by Alfriston (Jukebox).

That rival tired quickly at the top of the straight and Romancing The Moon was left all by herself in front, and she looked vulnerable as stablemate Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel) soon swallowed her up and took the lead.

But Romancing The Moon was far from finished. She lifted again, drawing level with Skew Wiff and gradually taking the upper hand in a tight battle down the straight. She was pulling away again in the final 100 metres, scoring by a length and a half.

“This filly handled 1600 metres well today and really handled the pressure after doing some work early,” Asano said. “It was a brave effort and I think she has a bright future ahead of her.”

This was the second consecutive Levin Classic win for Te Akau Racing, who saddled all of the first four placegetters last year headed by Imperatriz (I Am Invincible).

“This is a big thrill,” Te Akau’s racing manager Reece Trumper said. “The boss (David Ellis) has done it again, and I can’t thank him enough.

“David Ellis is one of the best buyers in the world, if not the best. He’s incredible. Full credit to him and Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) for syndicating these horses and building up such a great client base. Without them, and the great job that Mark (Walker) does training these fillies, we wouldn’t be here.”

“We thought there wouldn’t be too much speed in the race and she’d be able to land thereabouts, which she did. But they did go quite hard, and I thought she might stop in the straight. Fair play to her, she really toughed it out and it was a big effort.”

Vendor	Westbury Stud
Purchaser	Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau)
Breeding	El Roca – Underthemoonlight
Sale	Lot 189, Karaka 2021 Book 1, $50,000
Bred by	H G W & Mrs K L McQuade