Cambridge trainer Tony Pike believes the well-related Wind Rush can realise his full potential next season.

He has a high opinion of Almanor’s son who paid the believers at Te Rapa where he posted a long overdue maiden success with a commanding performance over 1600 metres.

Wind Rush had previously posted eight top four finishes from his previous nine appearances, including a third in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes.

“It’s been a long time coming and he’ll get a lot of confidence from it,” Pike said.

“He’s always been a talented horse, but he’s been immature both physically and mentally and I think he will get to a good level next season.”

Wind Rush settled three back on the fence under rider Ryan Elliot before the short-priced favourite finished powerfully one off the rail to win by a length and a-quarter.

“He drew a nice gate and got into a good rhythm and sprinted away, it was really encouraging,” he said.

Wind Rush was bought out of Kilgravin Lodge’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by Pike for $170,000.

He is a brother to Adam I Am, whose career was cut short by injury after winning four of his seven starts, with their dam the G2 Japan-New Zealand International Trophy winner Our Famous Eve.

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Gifted stayer Alma Rise turned her fortunes around stylishly at Echuca to claim top honours in the Country Oaks over 210 metres.

Little had gone the way off the daughter of Almanzor in her opening two runs this preparation and the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained the four-year-old bounced back to her best with an emphatic performance.

She loped along in fifth spot away from the rail before rider Craig Williams urged her four wide around runners 600 metres from home.

They were in front before the turn and Alma Rise stayed on strongly to have two lengths on her closest rival at the post.

“She hasn’t had much luck in her last few, so Craig took all the bad luck out of it, and it was a convincing win,” Moody said.

“She’s a lovely staying mare, it was very pleasing.”

Alma Rise has now won four of her 10 starts and was also runner-up in last season’s Listed VRC St Leger over 2800 metres.

She is co-raced by her breeder Ed Calvert and is a daughter of the Bertolini mare Fashion Black, who was successful on six occasions.

Fashion Black is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner and sire Xtravagant whose brother He’s Remarkable was a Group 3 winner and placed at the elite level.

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Hello Youmzain sired his fifth individual Southern Hemisphere winner when Bulgari made the perfect start to his career at Te Rapa.

Our multiple Group 1-winning son of Kodiac has only been represented by 14 starters to date and has now moved into second spot on the domestic first season sires’ championship.

Trained by Darryn and Briar Weatherley, Bulgari has been taken along quietly by the stable and was a trial winner in the spring and then placed prior to Christmas before a break.

He finished third in an 800-metre heat at Ellerslie at the start of this month to ready him for his debut and settled back of midfield in truly run contest.

Bulgari improved around runners near the turn and produced a sustained finish under the urgings of rider Matt Cartwright.

“We’ve always had a high opinion of the colt and Matt rode him perfectly,” Briar Weatherley.

“We were pleased to see the speed duel out in front and he really stretched out well in the straight.”

Bulgari was purchased by Weatherley Bloodstock out of breeder Jamieson Park’s draft for $220,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.

He is a son of the stakes placed O’Reilly mare O’Naturelle and a pedigree the stable has close ties to having prepared family members Pier (G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas) and Marina Farina (G3 King’s Plate).

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The only surprise about Poetic Justice’s success at Te Rapa was that it took the four-year-old so long to break through.

Our homebred son of Almanzor relished the step up to 2400 metre to post his maiden success at his 15th appearance and followed eight previous runner-up finishes.

“He has been really frustrating with the number of seconds he’s run,” trainer Tony Pike said.

Poetic Justice settled well back on the fence before edging forward near the turn and the four-year-old wound up strongly in the closing 250 metres to put away his Rating 65 opposition.

“He’s got plenty of ability and hopefully he’ll get a fait of confidence from this,” Pike said.

“He is a promising stayer and will continue to improve.”

Poetic Justice was bought out of our Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale draft for A$330,000 and is a son of the English-bred Street Cry mare Prose Poem, who was secured on our behalf by agent John Foote for 65,000gns at a Tattersalls Mares’ Sale.

Prose Poem is out of the G1 French Oaks winner Latice, a half-sister to two-time elite level winner and sire Lawman, who also left the dual Listed winner Fencing.

Poetic Justice is an older half-brother to the promising Pierata filly Sea Poem, sold by us for A$160,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, who has a win and a placing from two starts for Lindsay Park.

We sold Prose Poem’s colt by Sword Of State to Te Akau’s David Ellis for $50,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in January and the mare is currently in foal to Chaldean after producing another son of Sword Of State last season.

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Multiple Hong Kong placegetter Chateau Le Peche has posted his breakthrough success at Sha Tin.

Trained by Jimmy Ting, the four-year-old was belatedly successful over 2000 metres in the hands of Jerry Chau.

We bred and sold Chateau Le Peche who is a son of our resident sire Embellish and the late Rock Of Gibraltar mare Lovetrista.

She was a gifted performer who won the G2 Waikato Gold Cup and Listed Soliloquy Stakes and finished third in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.

She has produced six winers at stud and her last foal is a yearling sister to Chateau Le Peche, bought out of our New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft by Wallace Thoroughbreds for $65,000.

From the famed Eight Carat family, Lovetrista is out of the two-time Group One winner Tristalove who left elite level success story and sire Viking Ruler.

The family continues to triumph at Group 1 level with recent G1 Australian Guineas winner Feroce the latest to add his name to the roll of honour.

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A trip to the Queensland winter carnival is on the radar for emerging filly Zormella who impressively rounded off a winning double for our resident stallion Almanzor at Te Aroha.

Following the earlier lead of First Five, the three-year-old had no trouble justifying her even money favouritism with an emphatic victory at the expense of older opposition over 1600 metres.

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained representative was making just her fifth appearance and coasted along in second spot before she cut loose in the straight to romp home by a distance under rider Triston Moodley.

“It was a very easy watch and from a long way out it looked like she had the race under control,” Wellwood said.

“If she comes through this well, the obvious option is to head to the Championship Stakes (G3, 2100m) and who knows, maybe then a trip to Brisbane.”

Bred by Craig Grammar and Brian Webb, Zormella is out of the Pins mare Marmella and raced by the RNZ Frac Club & Surf Coast Racing.

It is a pedigree close to Cambridge Stud hearts as Mamarella is a daughter of our G3 Ladies’ Day Vase winner Zonza, dam of our G1 Queensland Derby winner Pinarello and her half-siblings Vernazza and Bavella were also stakes winners.

Mamarella produced a filly foal last season by our exciting young sire Hello Youmzain.

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