The David Payne-trained filly Montefilia did not find a lot of a love in the betting ring at her career debut at Newcastle on Friday, being sent off 50/1 shot in a field of five, but she found plenty under pressure to make the best possible start to her career while honouring Darley Stud’s Kermadec with his first winner.
Ridden by Glyn Schofield, Montefilia tracked the leaders Adam’s Prince and Much Much Better into the straight before gradually wearing down the latter to win by a short-neck with the short-priced favourite Toscanini a half-length back in third.
A $62,000 weanling purchase at the 2018 Inglis Great Southern Sale, Montefilia was offered by Tyreel Stud to the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where she was knocked down to her trainer for $130,000.
A half-sister to Montefilia by Shalaa (IRE) was purchased by Ciaron Maher Racing for $160,000 out of the Shadow Hill Thoroughbreds draft at the recent Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
They are out of the stakes-placed Shirocco mare (Banu Wu (GB) whose dam is a half-sister to the Group II winner Strategic Prince and the tough stayer Yorkshire who finished fifth in Jezabeel’s Melbourne Cup in 1998.
Montefilia has a colt foal by Ribchester (IRE) but missed to that stallion last spring.
A top-class son of Teofilo (IRE), Kermadec won the Group 1 ATC Doncaster Mile and Group 1 George Main Stakes.
He has only had a handful of starters to date with Le Heros finishing second at the Sunshine Coast on February 16.
Kermadec stands at Darley’s Kelvinside property at Aberdeen at a fee of $16,500.
