Unbeaten Elle Sourit (NZ) Stars in Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Final

A potential future star of fillies and mares’ ranks may have been unveiled in the $120,000 Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Final (1400m) on Champions Day at Ellerslie on Saturday. 

In addition to its base stake of $120,000, the Pearl Series Final also carried an additional $100,000 in bonuses – $70,000 to the winner, $20,000 for second and $10,000 for third – generously funded by Entain, NZB Insurance, the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.

The lucrative race was taken out by Elle Sourit (NZ) (Ocean Park), who is now unbeaten in four starts.

Bred and raced by Ms A I Barr, J A Bell, W M Dempster and C J Pearce, Elle Sourit has banked $120,750 in prize-money. She was offered by Wentwood Grange in Book 1 of Karaka 2023, where she was passed in.

The Andrew Forsman-trained Elle Sourit was a winner on debut over 1400 metres at Hawera in March of last year, followed by a Rating 65 victory at the same distance at Pukekohe in April. Her only other appearance was at Te Rapa in August, when she won impressively over 1500 metres.

Elle Sourit made her return to raceday action on Saturday, some six months after that August win at Te Rapa, and it was an outstanding reappearance.

Patiently ridden by apprentice jockey Sam McNab, Elle Sourit had only a couple of horses behind her at the home turn but came with big strides down the outside to score by three-quarters of a length.

“We set her for this race a little way out,” Forsman said. “The owners have been so patient. We had a little setback in her last preparation and we had to stop, then bring her slowly back up for this. I’m thankful that the owners allowed us to do that.

“She’s a genuinely good horse and I think she’ll only get better and better. She’ll be a good horse over a mile and 2000 metres in time, and I think she’ll be a black-type performer pretty quickly.”

Elle Sourit’s performance made a favourable impression on McNab.

“She’s a tough horse,” he said. “It was a bit of a query fresh up at 1400 metres, but the team presented her in lovely order and she’s a nice horse. She moved through her gears and really got going lately.”

Vendor	Wentwood Grange
Breeding	Ocean Park – Bel Sorriso
Sale	Lot 64, Karaka 2023 Book 1, Psd (Res $80,000)
Breeder	Ms A I Barr, J A Bell, W M Dempster & C J Pearce
Owner	Ms A I Barr, J A Bell, W M Dempster & C J Pearce