30 Dec 2021A cool ride from Leith Innes aboard Habana provided us with a dose of double delight at Taupo this afternoon.
Innes had earlier donned the black and gold silks to win on Beldarra and made it two for the day aboard our Zoustar colt.
The Tony Pike-trained Habana had overcome a tardy start to break his maiden at his previous appearance and with two on the bounce is taking steps toward a possible autumn crack at the G1 Levin Classic.
He settled third last today and looked to be in a precarious spot before the turn, but Innes was patient and had the three-year-old in the clear at the top of the straight and they proved superior in the closing 150 metres.
Habana is out of the Mossman mare Jeter, who won on four occasions and finished fourth in the G1 Schweppes Oaks. She is a half-sister to the G3 Gilgai Stakes winner and sire Fast ‘N’ Famous and they are out of the two-time Listed winner Zalinda.
The second dam is the G1 Railway Handicap winner Alynda, who produced the G3 Eclipse Stakes winner Alinsky and his half-siblings Capestad and Altrista were successful at Listed level.