21 Feb 2020Favourite Vernazza overcame a wide run to claim top honours in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes and significantly boost her future broodmare value.
Carrying the colours of Cambridge Stud, the daughter of More Than Ready is now on a path to the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes.
Today’s victory created a memorable moment for trainer and former Matamata Racing Club committee man Lance Noble, who now trains out of Cambridge Stud's purpose-built Karaka base.
“That was something special as to be able to come back to Matamata and win this race just means so much,” he said.
“I was 30 years here, began training here and was on the committee for fourteen years.
“It’s a special moment as it’s the first Cambridge Stud-bred Group winner under the new ownership.
“We’ll see how she comes through, but the plan was if she went well then we would target Ellerslie next (Gr.1 Sistema Stakes).”
Vernazza is out of Group Three-winning Zabeel mare Zonza and is the younger half-sister of stakes winning three-year-old filly Bavella. Zonza has a yearling and foal at foot by Tavistock and is in foal to European Champion Almanzor.
“She’s a lovely filly with a lot of scope who will definitely be better in the future,” winning rider Michael Coleman said.
“Even though we were three wide I was happy as she had a nice bit of cover.
“She really dug deep when pressured although I think she will be better on a much firmer track than this, but she’s got a bit of class.”