Perignon Breaks Through

 The Gerald Ryan-trained filly had finished second best to Speak Fondly in the Group II Magic Night Stakes, Group II Furious Stakes and Group 1 Flight Stakes but with her old nemesis missing here the daughter of Snitzel finished best under a well-timed ride by Tim Clarke to defeat a stubbornly determined Kangarilla Joy (Lonhro) by a head with Tempt Me Not (Strategic Maneuver) a half-neck back in third.(photo Lisa Grimm)

A winner at Canterbury at just her second start, Perignon had been competitive against the best of her age without breaking through.

Her maiden stakes success takes the overall of Perignon record to 2 wins, 2 second and 1 third from 9 starts for earnings of $311,250.

"She's been unlucky in a lot of group races and the Magic Millions so it's good to get a big win next to her name," Ryan's foreman Sterling Alexiou said.

"The plan will be to step through the fillies series then maybe onto the Coolmore but at the end of last prep Hugh Bowman wasn't really sold on her running a solid mile so we'll just let her tell us."

The daughter of Snitzel was making her first start since finishing third in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) last October.

A sister to the stakes-placed Hollyweird, Perignon (pictured as a yearling) was a $350,000 purchase by Ryan from the Arrowfield Stud consignment at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling sale.

She is the fifth foal of Last Blaze (JPN) (Narita Brian), who despite carrying the JPN suffix comes from a hugely successful Australian family.

A winner over 1800 metres in Japan, Last Blaze (JPN) is a daughter of Group II Edward Manifold Stakes winner Rubidium (Rubiton) who is a sister to Gulistan the dam of the crack miler Dash For Cash.

Oakland Park Stud's Neville and Susan Duncan purchased Last Blaze (JPN) at the 2013 Easter Broodmare sale for just $10,000 and it appeared for some time that it may not have been money well spent.

Last Blaze (JPN) slipped her Beneteau foal and missed to Hinchinbrook early the following season but was covered later that same season by Snitzel.

She produced a colt by the star stallion that will feature in the draft of Blue Gum Farm at the upcoming Inglis Premier Yearling sale.

Perignon becomes the 35^th stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud's hugely popular stallion Snitzel has 25 yearlings catalogued for the Inglis Premier Yearling sale and 29 heading to Easter.