Champagne Katie, a 3yr-old filly by Darci Brahma from Lycsis, cleared maiden ranks at Riccarton yesterday in her first race for 10 months. She was unplaced in two starts as a 2yr-old.
"We had her back in work a couple of times since she was a 2yr-old but she kept going shin sore," Kevin Hughes said.
Brown Eyed Grace (by Van Nistelrooy) won as a 2yr-old when trained by the Hughes for Roger and Emily Finlay, of Christchurch, who bought her at the yearling sales. She won her first two starts as a 3yr-old including the Canterbury Belle Stakes in 2009. She did not contest the One Thousand Guineas and her subsequent racing was affected by bone chips on a knee.
She is now being bred from by Nearco Stud Ltd. She is the dam of a yearling filly by Swiss Ace and she is due to Zabeel.
Champagne Katie is raced by breeder Llanhennock Trust, operated by the Hawkins family at Matamata. The trust also bred Brown Eyed Grace. The trust bred Little Bridge, a Faltaat-Golden Rose gelding who won the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. He is the first NZ-bred horse to win a race at Royal Ascot.
The Canterbury Belle Stakes for 3yr-old fillies is next Saturday. Champagne Katie has been nominated for the One Thousand Guineas.
• Comanche Gold, who has been nominated for the $230,000 Coupland's Mile at the NZ Cup meeting in November, won over a metric mile yesterday. It was his seventh win in 20 starts and his sixth at Riccarton. He is at $51 in futures betting for the Coupland's.
King Montrose, who is at $31, won easily fresh up over 1000m yesterday, repeating his win of last year.
He had not raced since he finished 10th in the Coupland's last year after slipping on a rain-affected track. The last race was then abandoned.
A Bob Short, who is at $61 in the NZ Two Thousand Guineas (1600m), led all the way against a field of 3yr-olds over 1200m yesterday. His performance confirmed a seven-length win at Ashburton at his previous start.
