Renaissance Woman shines in Angst Stakes

[Wandering Eyes]

A multiple stakes winner over 1800m and 2000m as a three-year-old last season, Renaissance Woman (NZ) (Reliable Man) showed real spark over a shorter trip with a highly impressive second-up performance in Saturday’s A$250,000 Gr.3 James Squire Angst Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

Trained by Bjorn Baker, the daughter of Reliable Man won the Gr.3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield last spring. She later added the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) during the Queensland Winter Carnival before finishing second in the Gr.2 Doomben Roses (2000m) and fourth in the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m).

Renaissance Woman made her four-year-old debut with a fifth placing over 1600m at Randwick on September 30, and she returned to the same venue two weeks later and produced an outstanding Group Three-winning performance.

Ridden by Josh Parr, Renaissance Woman settled in sixth before being presented at the top of the home straight. She charged home over the top of the favourite Ausbred Flirt (Maurice) and drew ahead to win by three-quarters of a length.

“She was explosive,” Parr said. “I’m so happy to win on her. She’s just a lovely mare now. She’s taken that progression from three-year-old filly to a really strong mare. 

“To sprint like that twice at the mile in this preparation, I think, is a big feather in Bjorn and his team’s cap, because they’ve kept her sharp enough to be able to show that. But she’s as fit as a trout and she ran through the line hard.”

From 14 starts, Renaissance Woman has now had four wins and a second placing, earning more than A$500,000 in stakes.

Renaissance Woman was offered by Westbury Stud in Book 1 of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in 2020 and was knocked down for $250,000. The ticket was signed by Brian Nutt’s Attunga Stud, and the filly is raced by his brother-in-law Geoff Walsh.Renaissance Woman is out of the Fastnet Rock mare MrsKennedy (Fastnet Rock), who is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) winner Mrs Onassis (General Nediym) and the Gr.3 How Now Stakes (1200m) winner Miss Judgment (Strategic), dam of Group Two winner Passive Aggressive (Fastnet Rock) and multiple Group One placegetter Missrock (Fastnet Rock).

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