New Zealand-breds had a successful start to the Boxing Day card at Randwick on Tuesday, recording two impressive early wins with Fire Tribe and Monfelicity.
Three-year-old Fire Tribe’s victory in the A$65,000 Drinkwise Plate (1200m) started a Boxing Day bonanza for Mapperley Stud stallion Contributer, who later sired the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2050m) winner Campionessa and Gr.3 Summer Cup (2000m) winner Lion’s Roar.
Fire Tribe had shown promise with three runner-up finishes in his four previous career starts, and he took a big step forward on Boxing Day to clear maiden grades at start number five.
Ridden by Tyler Schiller for trainer Joe Pride, Fire Tribe dropped out to the tail of the eight-horse field and remained there until the 300m mark. Schiller then angled him out into the centre of the track and pushed the button, and Fire Tribe launched an irresistible finish to snatch victory by a neck over Hanau.
Fire Tribe has now had five starts for a win and three second placings, earning A$56,850 for his owners. He was offered by Wentwood Grange at the 2022 Inglis Classic Sale in Sydney, where Pride Racing bought him for A$100,000.
The dam of Fire Tribe is the Testa Rossa mare Stellafire, who won four races and is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) winner and black-type producer Lights Of Heaven.
Later on the Randwick card, a pair of New Zealand-breds trained by David Payne drew more than two and a half lengths clear of the rest of the field to fight out the finish of the A$65,000 TAB Handicap (1500m).
Victory went the way of the Vadamos mare Monfelicity, who edged out Belardo gelding Tympanist by half a length.
It was the fourth win of a 24-start carer for Monfelicity, who has also recorded six placings and earned A$230,780 in stakes. Monfelicity was purchased out of Haunui Farm’s 2020 South Island Sale draft, hosted on Gavelhouse Plus, and is out of One Cool Cat mare Aplomb, a sister to stakes winner Praecido.
