Winners Again in G3 Desert Gold Stakes

The same owners, trainer and jockey as last year’s winner Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy) struck again in Saturday’s $70,000 Group 3 Williment Travel Group Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.

This time their star performer was Secret Allure (NZ) (Zacinto), a $36,000 purchase at the 2017 Select Sale who now sits in second place on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series standings.

Both fillies were trained by Lisa Latta and ridden by Leith Innes for owners A J Rennie, T D Tomlins, P Finlayson, K T J Dixon, M Passey, D A Masters & L M Latta.

Dijon Bleu went on to win the Filly of the Year title, clinching it with victory in the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa in early February. Secret Allure will be given the chance to do the same thing.

A winner at Listed level last season, Secret Allure had already made a Filly of the Year Series impact with a second placing in the Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m) and fourth in the Group 1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).

But the Desert Gold Stakes was on a new level. Patiently ridden by Innes, she sat well back in the field before charging into contention in the straight.

She raced past the Group 1 performer Valalie (Snitzel), then held out the fast-finishing Jakkalbomb (NZ) (Jakkalberry) by a long neck.

“Leith came out and said he had watched a few of her replays and she reminded him a bit of Dijon Bleu,” Latta said.

“She hasn’t quite got the height of her, but she is a tough little filly.

“I said to Leith that she could pull and I didn’t care where he was, just get her one off the fence and just give her a cosy run. He said I might look for a run up the inside, so I said just do whatever you want and everything just opened up for her.”

Innes was delighted to team up with the same connections as Dijon Bleu.

“It’s pretty special as they are a neat bunch of people,” he said. “She (Secret Allure) is not very big, but she’s pretty gutsy. I think Dijon Bleu was a little bit better, but this filly is on the way up.”

Secret Allure collected another 6 points for Saturday’s win, moving to 10 and second place on the Filly of the Year Series table behind Media Sensation (I Am Invincible). Valalie is next with 8.5 points, while Pinmedown (NZ) (Pins), 2019 Karaka Million 3YO Classic bound Imelda Mary (NZ) (Ferlax) and Queen of Diamonds (NZ) (Savabeel) have 8 each. Jakkalbomb collected her first 3 points with Saturday’s second placing.

The next leg of the Filly of the Year Series is the Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic at Te Rapa on February 9.

Before that, Inglewood Stud will offer a half-brother to Secret Allure in Book 1 of Karaka 2019. The Shooting to Win colt will go through the ring as Lot 391.