The King's Chapel mare is now a winner of three races from 11 starts after punching up the inside in the rating 75 1600m at Wingatui yesterday, giving Matt and Ryan Anderton the best possible start to their ownership career.
The twins (23) are joined in the ownership by mother Sharyn and father Shane, who co-trains the 5yr-old with his father, Brian.
Shane Anderton said it seemed a good time to bring their sons in to horse ownership when Sharyn spotted the half-sister to Miss Millbrook in the 2011 South Island sale.
‘‘Sharyn wanted to buy it - it was her idea,'' Shane Anderton said.
‘‘They're at the right age now and enjoy racing and it's good to race them with the family.''
The Andertons' daughter, Emma (17), is not old enough to join the family in the ownership, but led the mare back to the winner's stall yester-day.
‘‘We're having a bit of fun and she's got a nice bloodline so we want to breed off it.''
Quartet resumed this season with a win at Gore in late October before struggling to 12th at Riccarton two weeks later.
‘‘She went up there and I think she was mad in season,'' Anderton said.
‘‘She never raised a gallop which is unlike her. Today was an easier field but she was better than she went the other day. We'll put that down to experience and her first trip away and mares being in season.''
●Alacria is starting to live up to the promise she has shown at times in her brief career to date.
The Raise The Flag mare is owned by Pam Trusttum, of Kingsdown.
Her husband, Gary, had prepared the 4yr-old previously, but she is now with Ashburton trainers Daniel Champion and Kezia Murphy.
‘‘Gary has done a great job - she's fit,'' Champion said.
‘‘She's just needed time to mature and it's more or less the [bigger] stable environment [now helping her].''
Alacria raced in pacifiers and was still a green horse, Champion said.
●Michael and Matthew Pitman kept several of their owners happy with a quinella in the New Zealand Bloodstock Pearl Series 1400m yesterday.
It's No Secret led home stablemate Queen Serene in the $12,000 event for maiden fillies and mares.
The connections of It's No Secret earned $7500 for the win, along with an extra $10,000 as the 4yr-old mare is registered for the Pearl Series.
Queen Serene was impressive on debut chasing after It's No Secret.
The Thorn Park filly earned $2400 for second, but might not be a maiden for long on her performance yesterday.
