Two-year-old debutant Kana (NZ) (Tivaci) raced into contention for the $1million Doubletree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie next month with an impressive victory on her home track at Awapuni on Saturday.
The statuesque daughter of Waikato Stud-based stallion Tivaci had been expected to be too good for her four rivals in the juvenile dash over 1100m, but it was the manner in which she put them away in the closing stages that impressed plenty who were on hand to witness the performance.
Trainer Peter Didham had been expecting a good run from his charge, who now sits fifth on the order of entry for the Karaka Million and is guaranteed a start should he press on to the feature at Ellerslie on January 22.
“It was a really nice win and I loved the way she picked herself up from a decent shove on the home bend and really hit the line strongly,” Didham said.
“She is a gorgeous filly, 16 hands and just a stunning looker, who I think is a natural three-year-old rather than your typical two-year-old type.
“She is very level-headed and although she did a few things wrong in the race, it’s what you expect from them on debut, and she will just keep getting better.”
Purchased by Ian Middleton under his Exempt Bloodstock banner out of the Landsdowne Park draft for $65,000 during the Book 1 session at Karaka earlier this year, Didham is pleased to still have the filly in his care after she had been entered for the recent New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run sale of two-year-olds at Karaka in November.
“Ian bought two fillies at the yearling sale with the intention to on-sell them at the Ready To Run last month,” Didham said.
“I had been getting them both ready and I said to him he might want to revise that option as I felt this filly had so much upside to her, that he might be better keeping her.
“He did that and generously sold a shareholding to several of my other clients and I think they are going to have plenty of fun with her.
“She is now qualified for the Karaka Million, but whether we go there will depend on how she comes through this run over the next week or so.
“It can be very tough to get them ready for a race like that as they can go shin sore at any moment or just don’t take the pressure of the preparation required.
“If this filly shows any sign of that she will go to the paddock and we will look further down the track for her.
“She actually appeals as an ideal Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr.1, 1400m) type as she is a natural chaser rather than a get up and go sprinter.”
While delighted with the win by Kana, Didham was kicking himself later on in the day after withdrawing class mare House Of Cartier (Alamosa) from the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2250m) due to the Heavy11 track conditions.
Plenty of warming sun saw the track rated a Slow9 by the time the race was run and Didham felt his class performer would have been hard to beat on that type of surface.
“I second guessed myself and pulled the wrong rein with House Of Cartier,” he said.
“I was mindful that she had raced over 1600m the week before and stepping her up to 2250m on a heavy track might just completely flatten her.
“Her main mission is the Zabeel Classic (Gr.1, 2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, so I decided to focus on that and scratch her.
“As it turned out she probably could have gone around with no bother, but that is easy to say in hindsight.
“We will press on to Ellerslie now and hope there is a little bit of rain around to put some cut in the track as on a dead to slow surface I think she is a cracking chance at a top three finish.
“After that we will decide on our next options, but I think a race like the Auckland Cup (Gr.1, 3200m) is a definite possibility as the two miles won’t be an issue for her.”
