The lightly-raced Garry Chittick-bred and raced four-year-old crunched a
competitive field of mares off the back of a Rating 75 win last month."It's been a huge day for Waikato Stud and we're obviously delighted with this mare, who is out of a half-sister to Starcraft," Chittick said.
He had celebrated earlier success at Te Rapa with the resuming win of Sports Illustrated's stablemate Genius while stud graduate Tomorrowland claimed the Listed Shaw's Wire Ropes Sprint.
Stud resident Savabeel chimed in with a winning double courtesy with Surpass taking the Gr.3 Waikato Times Gold Cup and Jimmy Hoffa downed the Rating 65 stayers.
Sports Illustrated also continued the grand record of Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman in the Cal Isuzu.
"We've won three of the last four with Lady Kipling, Diademe and now with this mare," Baker said.
"She's a very good horse and we've had a big opinion of her right through. She was a bit weak as an autumn three-year-old, but this was a very good effort – she's a class act."
Sports Illustrated was given a perfect run in behind the leader by Opie Bosson, who was off the fence at the right time to comfortably account for the favourite Atacama and Soriano.
"It's been a great day and I was pretty confident with this mare going into the race," said Bosson, who also won the cup aboard Surpass.
"From the barrier she got a beautiful run and I just needed the split and I knew it would be all over."
Sports Illustrated is a daughter of the former Waikato Stud stallion Fast 'N' Famous, also the sire of stakes-winner Tomorrowland and lower grade Te Rapa winner Arrow In The Sand, who was relocated to Jindera Park in New South Wales last year. – NZ Racing Desk.
