It’s been a stellar week for Pencarrow Stud broodmare Huluava.
Her progeny scored a double at Riccarton Park last Saturday courtesy of Jay Bee Gee in the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) and Harmonious, while on Friday her youngest daughter, Branciforti, was victorious in the $100,000 Martin Collins Polytrack 1400m Innovation Race at Awapuni Synthetic.
Trained by David Greene at Te Rapa, Branciforti has shown plenty of promise on the synthetic, having recorded three of her previous four victories on the surface, including a last start win over 1300m at Cambridge last month.
That victory gave Greene the confidence to head to the $100,000 Synthetic Innovation race on Friday where the daughter of Belardo jumped a $6.50 third favourite, behind local hope Bee Enchanted ($4.50) and Cambridge synthetic specialist Lhasa ($5.80).
Branciforti jumped well from barrier two and jockey Sam Spratt settled her charge in the trail behind pacemaker Monza, where she enjoyed an economical trip throughout. Branciforti ranged up alongside Monza down the straight, hitting the front with 100m to go and ran clear to win by two lengths.
Greene was rapt to get the victory with the five-year-old mare.
“It looked a pretty even field at first glance and she has put them away very well,” he said.
“I think her last start was a career best performance, particularly the way she accelerated off the corner, much better than she has done previously. She is getting stronger and she is heading in the right direction.
“She is probably a level up on where we first thought she would get to, so she has done well for herself.”
Greene is now looking forward to testing Branciforti on the turf in the coming months and is potentially eyeing some black-type with the Sir Peter Vela bred and owned mare.
“We are going to have to find out (if she can handle the turf) because there won’t be many other options for her,” he said. “In saying that, she is going to have to be racing on the turf at open handicap class as well, so it won’t be easy for her, but she is a very genuine horse and is getting stronger and better all of the time.
“Garry Cossey (Pencarrow racing manager) can find a soft black-type race somewhere and we can try and get her a little bit of black-type.”
Greene said the three $100,000 synthetic innovation races this week have been a great incentive over the winter months.
“It is a great opportunity for horses at that level to be able to go for a race like that,” he said.
It was the second $100,000 synthetic race victory for Spratt this week after guiding the Sam Mynott-trained Heart Of Gold to win the $100,000 TAB 2000 at Cambridge on Thursday.
“I don’t know who is having a better week, Sam Spratt or Huluava, they are both having a brilliant week,” Greene said.
“She (Spratt) has won twice in a row on that horse, and she does such a good job with my horses and has won a lot of good races for the stable.
“We love Sam a lot and she might just be riding in career best form at the moment, she is right at the top of her game.”
