A more focussed Veuve Clicquot improved on her
debut run to open her account at Otaki on Friday and in doing so provided her
sire Rock 'N' Pop with his first success.
The filly had been very green when beaten into third at Trentham earlier this
month, but the addition of blinkers saw her safely home for the thick end of
the stake in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Race.
"She's got a wonderful physique, a big strong filly with a lot of natural
muscle on her," part-owner and trainer Tony Bambry said.
Veuve Clicquot jumped well to sit outside the leader and she proved too strong
in the run home under rider Jonathan Parkes for the favourite Nuclear Fusion.
Her Waikato Stud-based sire Rock 'N' Pop, a Group One-winning son of Fastnet
Rock, has only had a handful of first crop runners this season. - NZ Racing Desk