Godolphin’s Lonhro mare Varda staged a remarkable last to first performance in Saturday’s Listed XXXX Chief De Beers Stakes at Doomben.
Ridden patiently by Kerrin McEvoy, Varda looked to be giving the freewheeling Kylease an impossible start with 200 metres left to run.
The James Cummings-trained 4yo sprouted wings to turn inevitable defeat to a comfortable three-quarter of a length triumph. Kylease (Choisir) held on well for second a neck ahead of Mishani Hustler (Exceedingly Good) in third.
Varda looked like a stakes-winner in waiting when reeling off four consecutive wins on heavy tracks in Sydney last winter, but she subsequently finished unplaced in three Listed races.
The daughter of Lonhro advanced her record to six wins and three seconds from 14 starts with earnings of $395,625.
“She has been a bit in the doldrums. She won four in a row last winter,” Cumming said.
“We tried to keep her up with only a brief break in the spring. She ended up looking too good. She performs better when she looks a little mean, the way we had her today.
“We had her very fit. The guys got her ready at Osborne Park this week. Her fitness kicked in with a solid pace today, and she got the job done.”
Varda becomes the first stakes-winner for the top-class racemare Wild Queen whose five stakes wins were highlighted by the Group III Hawkesbury Gold Cup.
Wild Queen’s first foal Yavanna is a jewel in the Godolphin broodmare band. The daughter of Redoute’s Choice is the dam of Group 1 Randwick Guineas winner Kementari and the Listed Lonhro Plate winner Telperion and the stakes-placed winners Valaquenta (Street Boss) and Palurien (Reset).
A half-sister to Group II winner So Gorgeous, the dam of international Group I winning sprinter Sterling City, Wild Queen has a 2yo filly by Kermadec named Steelsheen and a weanling colt by Impending. She was not covered last year.
Varda becomes the 91st stakes-winner for Darley Stud’s veteran Lonhro, who lines up for his 18th season in the spring at a fee of $66,000.
Lonhro (image Mark Smith)
