A superb front-running ride by Warren Kennedy paved the way for progressive three-year-old Caledonie to secure her third career victory, when she took out the Kiwi Bus Builders 3YO (1300m) at Cambridge on Saturday.
Kennedy bounced the daughter of Ghibellines straight to the front from barrier two, and she never looked like surrendering the initiative to her race rivals.
Race favourite Freeze Frame chased hard in the run home, however Caledonie was travelling strongly as she cruised to the line to win comfortably by a neat length.
Trainer Ralph Manning, who was travelling to Woodville with his runners for Sunday’s Central Districts meeting missed the race, however he was delighted with his charge who holds a special place in the stable.
“I used to race a horse called Civics Rock who won 11 races over 1200m, including a Newmarket Handicap (Listed, 1200m),” Manning said.
“When he finished on the track, we sent him up to Patrick and Maree Colomina in New Caledonia, who stand him at stud up there.
“They bred this filly (Caledonie) with one of their New Zealand-based mares and have stayed in the ownership of her, so it is fantastic to see her doing well for them and the other owners.
“They tell me Civics Rock had another winner in New Caledonia today, so it’s been a great day for everyone.”
Manning will resist the temptation to push on with Caledonie over the winter, preferring to send her to the spelling paddock before launching a spring campaign.
“We thought all along this would be her last run for this prep and she can go to the paddock now,” he said.
“It was quite fortunate for us that they transferred from Tauranga to the synthetic track here, as I wasn’t really convinced she would handle a very heavy track at Tauranga.
“We thought if we could get an early race we would give it a try, but coming back to the synthetic really played in our favour.”
Originally set to race at Tauranga, the meeting was transferred to the Cambridge synthetic track after torrential rain during the week made it unlikely the meeting would be completed, as more rain was forecast over the weekend in Tauranga.
Caledonie is the first foal out of Bachelor Duke mare Maenoha and is the granddaughter of Arthena, the dam of Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) and Gr.3 Counties Cup (2200m) winner Justamaiz, while she is also closely related to Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) winner Solzhenitsyn.
