Kovalica leaps into Derby picture

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The Chris Waller-trained Kovalica (Ocean Park) advertised his Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) credentials when he produced a fine performance to win the Queensland Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) at Eagle Farm yesterday. 

A winner of the Grand Prix Stakes (Gr 3, 2100m) at the Brisbane venue on December 17, the three-year-old chalked up his second stakes-level win when he finished with a flourish to nail Perfect Thought (So You Think) in the final stages, eventually beating that rival by a quarter of a length. 

Waller’s stable representative Brett Killion said he was pleased with the victory and was confident the gelding will continue to improve over longer trips. 

“He’s a horse on the way up. The grand final [Queensland Derby] is in four weeks, we are aware of that. But the mile today [yesterday], he might not have had quite the dash that he did first-up,” said Killion.

“I think what gave us confidence was the track record here, knocking Gypsy Goddess’ record off in the Grand Prix. You’ve got to be well above average to do stuff like that.

“Nothing really phases him. He’s likely to go home and lick the tin and he just slops around the track.”

Winning rider Nash Rawiller enjoyed a stakes double yesterday, having steered Rothfire (Rothesay) to a popular success in the Victory Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) in the previous race and the jockey said there was more to come from Kovalica. 

“He just got into a beautiful rhythm, he travelled really well and the way the track has been racing it was going to help him home. When I went for him with 100 metres to go I thought ‘I’ve still got a lap in there’. He’s a very nice horse,” said Rawiller. 

Kovalica was a NZ$110,000 buy for Mulcaster Bloodstock from the Curraghmore draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka yearling sale in 2021. He is the second foal and first winner out of Makfi (Dubawi) mare Vitesse, herself a half-sister to three-time Group 1 winner The Bostonian (Jimmy Choux). 

Kovalica’s unraced third dam Sheila Cheval (Mi Preferido) produced ten-time Group 1 winner King Mufhasa (Pentire), while this is also the family of recent Group 3 winner Sacred Satono (Satono Aladdin). 

Vitesse’s daughter by Super Seth (Dundeel) was purchased by Kilgravin Holdings for NZ$85,000 at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale and the mare was most recently covered by Ocean Park. 

Kovalica is one of 19 stakes winners for Waikato Stud-based sire Ocean Park, who will stand the 2023 season for a fee of NZ$30,000 (plus GST).

 

Appin Girl proves too strong at Eagle Farm
A crack at the Spirit Of Boom Classic (Gr 2, 1200m) at Doomben on May 13 looks to be in the offing for Appin Girl (2 f Capitalist – Sarthemare by Street Cry) after she took her unbeaten run to two with a dominant performance in yesterday’s Dalrello Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Eagle Farm.

Trained by Steven O’Dea and Matt Hoysted, the daughter of Capitalist (Written Tycoon) scored an impressive debut success at the Sunshine Coast on April 2 and took yesterday’s rise in class with ease.  

Travelling well at the back of the field, Appin Girl was angled out into the clear late on by rider Boris Thornton and produced a decisive turn of foot to beat She’s A Rogue (Nicconi) by a length and a half, with a further three-quarters of a length back to the third-placed Cifrado (Encryption).

“She’s a typical filly, she can test the waters and see what she can get away with here and there. But generally she’s got a really good nature about her,” said O’Dea.

“She obviously had the nice gate today (barrier two) and there was good speed, she got the gun run in behind them. Relaxed beautifully, presented well and travelled up good.

“I think even when she got away from them she probably wanted to idle a touch late.”

Another step up in class now awaits Appin Girl, with O’Dea earmarking next month’s Spirit Of Boom Classic as a potential target.

“[I] just want to see how she comes through,” he said. “We didn’t want to throw her in the deep end this time and just went to the two-year-old fillies race in three weeks or whether we think about having a go at the Champagne (Stakes) in a couple of weeks. 

“We’ll obviously see how she pulls up, she was a month between runs here. We did give her a nice week out after that last run so we’ll see how she pulls up.

“We don’t want to go too deep into the carnival this time in. Still plenty of upside with her going into her three-year-old year. Great to see her get a stakes win today.”

Appin Girl (2 f ex Sarthemare by Street Cry) is out of Listed-winning mare Sarthemare (Street Cry) making her a half-sister Group 2 winner Sesar (Sebring) an Listed scorer Doubt Defying (Not A Single Doubt). 

Having missed to Justify (Scat Daddy) in 2021, Sarthemare produced a filly by Vinery Stud-based Exceedance (Exceed And Excel) in 2022. 

Appin Girl provides the Newgate Farm-based sire Capitalist (Written Tycoon) with his 12th individual stakes winner, while this season he has been represented by six stakes winners headed by Group 2 winner Lazzago. The stallion will stand the upcoming breeding season for a reduced fee of $77,000 (inc GST).