Marokopa Falls shines on debut

[Wandering Eyes]

Te Akau Racing and Fortuna Racing have a remarkable association with two-year-old fillies and they unveiled another exciting prospect at Trentham on Saturday in the form of Marokopa Falls (Hellbent).

The daughter of Hellbent was not fully tested in her sole trial appearance at Taupo on November 26, and in a compact four-horse juvenile field on debut, she closed a $3.50 second-favourite behind race-winner Too Sweet ($1.80).

Each of the quartet jumped positively and with plenty of early speed, Too Sweet found the rail and the lead as they descended down the TAB chute. Marokopa Falls shadowed the filly throughout and got on even terms as they straightened, and after breaking away from Abbakiss and Ferrari, the pair set to fight out the finish with Marokopa Falls finding an extra kick under Craig Grylls to score by a half-length at the post.

Grylls, who currently leads the national jockey’s premiership narrowly over Sam Spratt, was complimentary of the filly’s first-up effort.

“She was well prepared for today,” he said. “She hopped away nice to sit outside the leader, was little bit green coming across the junction, as they quite often can be, but once balanced she let down really nicely.

“She was very professional, a nice mover, and for her first go after only one trial it was pretty impressive.”

Mark Walker, who prepares the Te Akau contingent alongside Sam Bergerson, indicated Marokopa Falls would return to Trentham at short notice, with the Gr.2 Happy Hire Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) her next assignment.

“She has a lot of natural ability and will take further improvement from the trip away and the win,” Walker said.

“Her next start will be in the Group Two Wakefield Stakes and it would be great to get some black type at just her second start.”

The stable won last year’s edition of the Wakefield with subsequent Group One-winning filly Captured By Love, who like Marokopa Falls, was purchased out of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The latter was secured by David Ellis and Fortuna Racing’s John Galvin for $57,500, the exact figure the pair outlaid to buy their 14-time Group One winner Melody Belle.

In the early stages of her illustrious career, Melody Belle won the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), a race Marokopa Falls is ineligible for as an Australian-bought filly.

Galvin was on course to witness the victory, alongside several members of the Fortuna Marokopa Falls Syndicate.

“It was a lovely win from a lovely filly that the team obviously have a lot of time for,” Galvin said.

“It’s not usual for us to send a two-year-old to the races off the back of one trial, so going there today gave us an indication of what the trainers think of her. She was very professional and relaxed in the birdcage and she showed those same attributes during the race.

“She was bought for the same price as Melody Belle, so if she could be half as good as her then we’d have to be very happy, wouldn’t we?.”

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