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The Opera House's Grandson wins in Japan

Mark Smith - Sunday May 26

A snow-white grandson of the cult mare The Opera House,  Aoraki (JPN) chalked up his second win in 22 starts at Kasamatsu on Friday.

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In a lesson of perseverance, the 4-year-old son of Gold Ship (JPN) took 19 starts to break his maiden and has now won two of his past four on the dirt.

Aoraki’s dam Casta Diva (High Chaparral) was a $450,000 purchase for Dearest Club, Japan, at the 2016 NZB Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka.

Casta Diva won a 2600m maiden at Hakodate and placed twice in eleven starts.

She is the third foal and the first of three consecutive white foals for Might And Power’s three-quarter sister The Opera House (Zabeel).

Costa Diva $450,000 Karaka yearling

Aoraki is her first foal, and the second Pounamu (Satono Diamond) is bay. Casta Diva struck gold again with her latest foal, a white daughter of Deep Impact’s 3-time Group 1 winning son Fierement (JPN).

The Opera House’s first two foals were a bay and chestnut, born in Australia. The next three born in New Zealand were all white. The Shamexpress colt Grand Bernini and the Charm spirit filly Utzon followed Casta Diva. The following four foals were all bays.  

Utzon shares a paddock with many other celebrities at Yulong. She has a white yearling filly and a white weanling filly by Alabama Express.  

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