It was a Group 1 double in the space of seven days for the Kermadec filly Montefilia who downed the colts in Saturday’s $1,000,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
It was a shade cosy at the end (Steve Hart)
The Flight Stakes heroine looked to be in some trouble when Jason Collett had to wait for Lion’s Roar to clear her in the final 250 metres before securing a run.
She then knuckled down to her work and had the son of Contributer in her sights inside the final furlong to win by three-quarters of a length.
The Deep Impact colt Bucharest was a further three and three-quarters of a length back in third.
“Everything panned out perfectly, I got the barrier to suit, it was just a matter of getting her into the clear at the right time,” Collett said.
“As the favourite there was an expectation there to get the result. When I came to Sydney for Chris Waller, David gave me a lot of opportunities, I stuffed a few of them up, so I’m very glad to get this one.”
It was the second win in the race for trainer David Payne after Ace High in 2017.
Montefilia with the winners spoils (Steve Hart)
“She’s good, she will be even better next year because if you look at her she is quite a lean filly,” Payne said.
“I will have a look at the race in Melbourne (Oaks).
“You have to look at it. She has only had seven runs now but we’ll see how she is in a couple of days as we will be taking on the fillies again. I feel she will be better over 2500m.”
The daughter of Kernadec advances her record to 4 wins and a third from 7 starts with earnings of $1,010,925.
Montefilia was offered twice by Tyreel Stud, bringing $62,000 as a weanling at the 2018 Great Southern Sale, then selling to Payne Racing for $130,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Montefilia was a $130,000 yearling
She is the best of three winners from four to race out of the imported, stakes-placed, Shirocco mare Bana Wu (GB) whose dam My Way (Marju) is a half-sister to multiple Group II winner Strategic Prince.
Purchased by S Duke for $92,000 at the 2018 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale when carrying a Shalaa (IRE) colt,.which was purchased by Ciaron Maher Racing for $160,000 out of the Shadow Hill Thoroughbreds draft at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Bana Wu has a yearling colt by Ribchester (IRE) before missing to that stallion last year.
Montefilia comes from the first Group by Teofilo’s dual Group 1 winner Kermadec who stands at Darley Stud this season at a fee of $13,750.
