After racing on speed, Jess Taylor set the tough mare House Of Cartier to an all-out drive turning for home in Friday’s Listed Navigate Advisors Wagga Cup (2000m) and despite treading water in the closing stages had enough in hand at her ninth stakes attempt.
Third in the Group 1 Schweppes Australasian Oaks 12 months ago, the John Sargent-trained daughter of Alamosa held the challenge of Maurus (GB), who came from last under a rails-hugging ride by Brodie Loy to miss by a half-length with his stablemate Master of Arts four and a quarter lengths back in third.
Passed in short of her $250,000 reserve out of the Wellfield Lodge draft at the 2017 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, House Of Cartier advances her record to 4 wins, 1 second and 3 thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $290,160.
She is the second stakes-winner from as many to race out of the top-class Ekraar mare Shez Sinsational following the Listed winner Sinarahma (Darci Brahma).
The Champion Stayer in NZ in 2011-12, Shez Sinsational’s 12 wins included the Group 1 Hawkes Bay Spring Classic, Group 1 ARC Zabeel Classic, Group 1 Auckland Cup and Group 1 Waikato RC International Stakes and was runner-up in the Group 1 BRC Queensland Derby.
Shez Sinsational’s Savabeel colt made $420,000 at the Karaka this year.
Not covered in 2018, Shez Sinsational was covered by Almanzor (FR) last spring.
House Of Cartier becomes the 14th stakes-winner for Wellfield Lodge’s 4-time Group 1 winning son of O’Reilly, Alamosa.
