Less than twenty-four hours after being crowned champion South Island Two-Year-old for her deeds last season, Miss Federer gave notice she will be a force to be reckoned with in her three-year-old campaign when she captured the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) against her age group rivals at Riccarton.
The Gr.3 Woburn Farm 2YO Classic (1200m) winner had resumed with a tidy effort for second at Riccarton a fortnight ago and had been expected to improve with that outing. Expectations were tempered slightly when she drew barrier thirteen in the 15-horse field which saw her installed second favourite for the contest behind her fresh-up conqueror Woodcote Lass.
Rider Kylie Williams used the Swiss Ace filly’s brilliant gate speed to negate the outside gate as she made a beeline to the inside rail and the pace-making role. Williams kicked the filly clear at the top of the long Riccarton straight where she bravely kept up a strong gallop to hold out the late charge of All About Magic with Woodcote Lass running on well to take third.
Photo: Race Images South
Trainer Andrew Carston knew he had his charge up to the mark for the race but made special mention of the ride by Williams to secure the win.
“She had come on nicely from her first run where she hit the wall at the 100m,” Carston said.
“I hadn’t been able to give her a trial before that race so I knew she would take plenty of benefit from it.
“Kylie did a super job as she had a plan before the race and she executed it perfectly.
“She (Miss Federer) did start to get a little tired at the end but she had done a bit to get to the front so that was to be expected.”
Carston will now monitor the recovery of his charge before setting her for her next assignment although plans for a start in the Gr.1 Gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November are still up in the air.
“People have asked me if she will get the 1600m of the 1000 Guineas and the simple answer is I just don’t know,” he said.
“She has a nomination for the race and that is our target but whether she gets there or not will be up to her recovery from today and how she goes when we step her up over more ground.
“As long as she comes through this well, I will give her a month between runs and have a crack at the Barnswood Farm Stakes (Gr.3, 1400m) at Ashburton in mid-October.
“If she is going to get that sort of trip then Ashburton is a good place to do it. Once we see how she goes there then we can make plans for the Guineas or not.” A daughter of dual stakes winning mare, Halobelle, Miss Federer was a $10,000 purchase by Carston from the Bradbury Park draft at the 2018 National Yearling Sale. She has now won four of her 7 career starts and over $120,000 in prizemoney.
