Scarlett Lady (NZ) Makes Winning Return

Group 1 winner Scarlett Lady (NZ) made a winning return to the track yesterday with an impressive victory in the $45,000 Listed Tui Breweries Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1600m).

Not seen since the spring where a bone-chip ended her luckless campaign in Melbourne, Scarlett Lady (Savabeel x On Call) showed that her operation and subsequent time away from the track has not dampened her ability.

Trained by Graeme & Debbie Rogerson with regular rider James McDonald in the saddle, Scarlett Lady was ridden confidently by McDonald who allowed her to settle back in running before unleashing her down the outside in the straight to win by half-a-length.

Scarlett Lady wins the Group 1 Queensland Oaks

A class filly, Scarlett Lady stamped her superiority on both sides of the Tasman last season winning six consecutive races. In New Zealand she won the Listed Breeders Stakes and Group 2 Travis Stakes against the older horses before becoming only the second filly in history to win the Group 3 Doomben Roses/Group 1 Queensland Oaks double.

The only other filly to accomplish the feat was Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm) in 2001.

Scarlett Lady was bred by S A Luey & Waikato Stud and was purchased by Whitby Bloodstock from Waikato Stud at the 2009 Karaka Premier Sale for $25,000. She has now won seven of her 13 starts for over $630,000 in stakes.

Plans for Scarlett Lady include the Group 1 New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie on the last day of the Auckland Cup Carnival with an assault on Sydney's rich staying races also likely. The mare may also be taken to Singapore to contest the Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji in May.

Providing the New Zealand Bloodstock quinella in the Listed race was the Frank Brown trained Outback Girl (NZ) (O'Reilly x Chatwin). Ridden by jockey Robert Hannam, the four-year-old mare also made it a stakes double for Waikato Stud stallions.