With the late scratching of the favourites Bosustow and Linebacker, it paved the way for the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained pair Waterville and Evenflow to fight out a titanic finish of the Racing And Sports Maiden Plate (1300m) for 2-year-olds at Warwick farm on Wednesday.
The strapping Menari filly Waterville did enough under Tommy Berry to make a winning career debut by a half-head from the front-running Super Seth colt Evenflow, with the Justify (USA) gelding Okami Star three and a half lengths back in third.
“She has been a lovely filly from day one – an imposing lump of a girl who will improve a hell of a lot fitness-wise,” Paul Snowden said.
“Her racing manners are sharp and on point, but it is a matter of her catching up with her body.
“She will get a bit further, but I thought both her horses were great. The colt was backing up from last Wednesday and narrowly beaten. He will come on nicely as well.”
A homebred for Tony and Nikki O'Driscoll’s Codds Flat Bloodstock, Waterville is the first foal of the winning Dissident mare Turncoat, purchased by Codds Flat Bloodstock for $12,000 on Inglis Online in 2020.
Turncoat’s dam My Five Eightyate (Bernardini) is an unraced daughter of 4-time Group II winner and Group 1 placed Ateates, a sister to Group 1 VRC Newmarket Handicap winner Ruffles.
Turnocoat has a yearling filly by Tassort and a colt foal by Tiger of Malay. She was covered by Russian Revolution in October after missing to an earlier cover by In The Congo,
Waterville is one of 14 live foals from the third crop of her fertility-challenged sire, Menari. The son of Snitzel died last September.
