Emotional Ellerslie Win

 
Emotional Ellerslie Win25 Dec 2019

Emotions ran high in the birdcage at Ellerslie on Boxing Day after the smart filly Taroni produced a dominant winning performance.

Her victory in the Stella Artois 2YO provided a much needed lift for Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay.

It has been a dreadful year for the couple, both on personal and professional levels.

On Christmas Day, Brendan’s sister Sonya Harper passed away after a long battle with illness.

She was a major part of the stud team, working in the office at Karaka and a regular racegoer to cheer on the farm’s runners.

Taroni provided a much needed lift and also nailed down a starting berth in next month’s Karaka Million.

The filly had been successful on debut on the course last month, only to be relegated to second for causing interference.

Jockey Leith Innes punched the air in jubilation and looked skyward as he crossed the line.

“I could hear cheering from above. She shouldn’t have lost the race last time, but it is what it is,” he said. “It’s a special win, just great.”

Taroni is trained at Karaka by Lance Noble and he echoed Innes’ comments.

“It’s very special for a lot of different reasons. This filly has just kept improving and it’s a very rewarding win,” he said.

The addition of side winkers proved a successful gear change and Taroni raced in fourth spot before hitting the front 200 metres from home.

She then lengthened stride to win in effortless fashion.

“We don’t need to do too much with her now she’s qualified. I don’t think she’ll have another run before the Karaka Million,” Noble said.

“She’s a pretty straight forward filly and that’s what Showcasing puts into them and why he has so many 2-year-old winners – she just eats and sleep and does her job.”

Bred by Nearco Stud, Taroni was purchased out of Curraghmore’s New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale draft for $90,000.

She is a daughter of Alagant Satin, who won the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic and the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes.

She is from the family of the two-time South African Group One winner and sire Be Noble.