The lightly raced daughter of champion sire Redoute's Choice broke her maiden
last start at Ballarat for the Hawkes Racing team and was sent out favourite
for the Benchmark 70 event over 2200 metres.She emerged triumphant for Dean Holland, striding away at the finish to win by more than two lengths, her second win from five starts.
"He rode her like she was a good thing," said Wayne Hawkes.
"She's just a big kid and is only just now learning how to flatten out and get her galloping action right.
"We'll take her through her grades for now. She's not a carnival horse yet, but we're hopeful she will be by this time next year."
Passed in at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale shy of her $750,000 reserve, La Amistad was retained to race by Tony Santic's Makybe and partners and is the fifth winner for Tugela (USA).
La Amistad is a three-quarter sister to triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, a full sister to Group II winner Musket and half-sister to Group III winner Valkyrie Diva.
Tugela has a yearling full sister to Makybe Diva by Desert King, but will have no foal this spring after missing to Street Cry (IRE).
