The David Payne-trained filly Montefilia had the honour of being Kermadec’s first winner at two last season and she backed that up by being his first winner at three at Rosehill on Saturday encouraging her trainer to consider a path to the Victoria Oaks.
After closing out her juvenile season with a luckless fourth in the Group III T L Baillieu Handicap at Rosehill, Montefilia kickstarted her classic season with a fast-finishing third behind Giovanna Run when coming from last on a leader-biased Kensington track over 1400m on July 18.
A controversial late scratching in an 1800m event at Randwick last week, Montefilia came from midfield under Glen Boss to defeat Papal Warrior (Fastnet Rock) by a length and a quarter with Rothenburg (Rothesay) a further two and a half lengths back in third in the 1500 metre handicap run on a heavy 9.
"I think she could be something special,” Payne enthused.
“Last week over 1800m on a track that I think was worse than a heavy 9 after the first and thank goodness they (the stewards) let me take her out. It’s heavy today but it’s only over 1500m.
“She will go to the paddock for a freshen-up. We will go down an Oaks path hopefully or we will have a look at the Flight Stakes as well.
“We will have to work things out depending on what happens down in Victoria.”
Glen Boss said he would rather see the daughter of Kermadec progress through her grades and was happy she missed the race last week.
“She’ not built like a tank, she’s tall but fine and to have a gut-buster second up can define the rest of their preparation.
“She’s nice filly but to put it in context she beat 70 raters with 53kg. But she beat older runners quite well and I know she will stick on because she is a very relaxed filly so she will stay and can mix it in better races.”
There is enough depth in Montefilia’s pedigree to suggest she will improve as the distances stretch out.
A $62,000 weanling purchase at the 2018 Inglis Great Southern Sale, Montefilia was offered by Tyreel Stud to the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where she was knocked down to her trainer for $130,000.
She is out of the stakes-placed Shirocco mare Banu Wu (GB) whose dam is a half-sister to the Group II winner Strategic Prince and the tough stayer Yorkshire who finished fifth in Jezabeel’s Melbourne Cup in 1998.
A half-sister to Montefilia by Shalaa (IRE) was purchased by Ciaron Maher Racing for $160,000 out of the Shadow Hill Thoroughbreds draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Banu Wu (GB) a yearling colt foal by Ribchester (IRE) but missed to that stallion last spring.
A top-class son of Teofilo (IRE), Kermadec stands at Darley’s Kelvinside property at Aberdeen at a fee of $13,750.
