Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish was represented by his first trial winner on Tuesday when home-bred and raced filly Luberon (NZ) gave a professional display to claim her two-year-old heat on the synthetic track at Cambridge.
The Group One winner’s daughter was quickly into stride for Vinnie Colgan and coasted to the line under hands and heels riding to comfortably land her 800m heat.
Trained by Lance Noble, Luberon had finished third in her only other trial appearance last month at Ruakaka and is likely to return there to make her race day debut later this month.
“She’s been very pleasing, and not only because she’s an Embellish, as she’s a filly that has showed us a fair bit at home,” he said.
“She has made really good improvement since her first trial and she’s ready to go to the races. We might head back to Ruakaka on September 24 as long as she comes through this trial okay.”
A half-sister to dual winner Ellmaknifiko (NZ) (Makfi), Luberon is a daughter of the unraced Fastnet Rock mare Elegant Achiever who hails from a European family that features Group winners Wunders Dream (Averti), Grecian Dream (Dream Ahead), Muffri’ha (Iffraaj) and Asymmetric (Showcasing).
“The filly has made it easy for me, she’s been very sensible and has a great attitude. She’s very strong and as long as she keeps going the right way we will give her a chance at the races,” Noble said.
Elegant Achiever foaled a brother to Luberon in 2021 before a return visit to the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas-winning son of Savabeel.