Two Illicit (Jimmy Choux x Gemini) was one of three winners bred by Trelawney Stud on Saturday.
The Roger James and Rob Wellwood-trained three-year-old travelled mid-field on the rail in the Auckland Co-Op Taxis 1400 and looked like her run to the post would be hampered by traffic.
However jockey Donavan Mansour moved her out wide once they were on the straight and given clear running ahead of her, Two Illicit showed a good turn of foot to sprint past her rivals with 50m to go to score by 1.3L.
“She looked a bit flat a long way out and the speed was on,” Wellwood said. “Once she got comfortable and her feet underneath her she really sprinted really well. She will be a pretty exciting filly once she gets up over ground I think.”
Two Illicit was having just her second career start after finishing third at Te Rapa on debut last month.
“She was a little bit green at Te Rapa and did a few things wrong but again stormed to the line,” Wellwood said. “She probably did a few things wrong here and was just a bit run off her feet but as I say, once she found her feet she really sprinted to the line strongly.”
“We won’t get too carried away yet but she is a filly that has always worked well and she is a lovely type of filly.
“Thanks to Brent and Cherry for their support and we are looking forward to the future with her.”
Two Illicit runs in the Trelawney Stud silks for breeder-owners Brent, Cherry, Faith and Jane Taylor.
In Australia Own Sweet Way (Iffraaj x Exquisite Choice) collected his second win in his last three starts when holding on to nab a narrow victory at the Gold Coast Turf Club over 1800m.
The five-year-old gelding was bred by Trelawney Stud and sold out of their 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Yearling draft. It was his fourth career win and took his earnings to over $84,000.
The third winner for the farm was Fanaar (Stratum x Dubonnet) who collected his maiden win at Albury for David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig.
The three-year-old colt, who was backing up off a third placing at Donald earlier this month, justified his favourite tag with a commanding win in the Hi Tech Antennas Handicap (1175m).
Fanaar was leading heading into the turn and was never under pressure cruising on to win by just under 3L.
Another bred and sold by Trelawney Stud, Fanaar was fourth in the Gr.3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) as a juvenile and looks like he will progress on from Saturday’s victory.
Meanwhile eight-year-old gelding Master of Arts (Mastercraftsman x Petit Verdot) showed he had not lost any of his competitive edge finishing a commendable third in the Listed City Tatts Cup (2400m) at Randwick.
The Trelawney Stud bred and sold gelding has been a fantastic member of owner Paul Fudge’s Warratah stable having won eight races and over $690,000 in stakes, not a bad return on a $110,000 price tag at the 2013 Inglis Easter Sale. -Trelawney Stud