Thooza shines on debut at Te Rapa

[Wandering Eyes]

A pair of regally-bred fillies featured in the finish of the Cambridge Raceway 2YO (1200m) on Saturday at Te Rapa, with Thooza (NZ) (Almanzor) coming out on top on debut over Sister Cynane.

Almanzor filly Thooza is out of Sea Goddess, the third foal of two-time Horse Of The Year heroine Seachange, while Sister Cynane, a daughter of I Am Invincible, was a $1.3million yearling purchase with the credentials of Group One-winning mare Prompt Response on her pedigree page.

With two recent trial victories under her belt, Sister Cynane was an overwhelming $1.70 favourite in the juvenile contest, with Thooza her closest rival at $8.60 after her trial form was franked with promising gelding Yaldi, who she ran second to, performing at stakes level at Flemington on ANZAC day.

Contending with an outside draw (10), jockey Warren Kennedy showed intent early aboard Thooza, who carried the prominent colours of owners Cambridge Stud, and worked to take up the pacemaking role ahead of Sister Cynane, who was sporting the silks of Australian force Hermitage Thoroughbreds.

The favourite cruised up alongside Thooza at the 300m and looked likely, but the Tony Pike-trained filly kicked strongly to power clear on the inside by ¾ lengths, with a further 2-1/4 lengths to the Peter and Dawn Williams’ pair of Moneypenny and Lachie.

Cambridge-based Pike was wary of the wide draw on debut, as well as the short-priced favourite, but was thrilled to see his filly deliver at her first attempt.

“That was our intention (to go forward) from the wide gate, she’s been good out of the gates at the trials and I thought it was probably the only way to beat the favourite,” Pike said.

“It was a good tough win as the favourite came up to beat her and she’s drawn away over the last 100m of the race.

“There’s a bit of reputation to live up too (with Seachange), but she’s done a great job and certainly improved through all of her trials. She can go have a nice little break now and I’m sure there will be some nice races for her in the spring.

“She’s a filly with a future, with a bit more maturity on her side.”

Kennedy took out the first on the card aboard Wexford Stables’ filly Tomodachi and was able to hold out the Matamata operation’s charge in the second (Sister Cynane) to capture a race-to-race double.

“It always helps when they’ve got that gate speed as a two-year-old, everyone wants to be in the first four. She (Thooza) jumped out really well, I was able to get ahead of them and dictate the pace,” Kennedy said.

“I saw the favourite loom up at the 300m and she passed me with a bit in hand, so it was a testament to this filly’s courage to pick herself up off the floor and get the win. She really wanted it.

“When she comes back next term, she’s one to pencil in definitely.”

Sea Goddess (raced as Our Sea Goddess in Australia) won three races in New Zealand and Victoria in her nine-start career, and Thooza is her second foal, with another filly out of in-form sire Almanzor born last September.

The Oaks Stud offered Thooza for sale at Karaka 2023, and she was purchased by Brendan & Jo Lindsay for $155,000, with $20,125 returned on that investment at her first start.

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