Stephen Marsh has unveiled a number of promising two-year-old fillies this week and the latest in Lady Iris (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) stamped her authority with a strong win in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1050m) at Matamata on Sunday.
Marsh combined with jockey Wiremu Pinn to take out the juvenile event at Pukekohe Park on Friday with debutant Little Black Dress, with stablemate Mazino completing the quinella. Pinn also guided the Marsh-trained Glamour Tycoon to win Saturday’s Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham, the second of his two stakes-winning rides on the day after Vegas Queen stole the show in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m).
The northern hoop carried that momentum on to Matamata, where he partnered Lady Iris at her first appearance to the races having made a good impression in two trials. She was among the better-backed runners at $8.50, albeit with a clear favourite in Fury Of Flight ($2.10).
Jumping from barrier six, Lady Iris showed good early speed and landed in the one-one, sitting off the rail outside of pacemaker Pink Gin. Fury Of Flight worked hard three-wide through the running and that effort told at the top of the straight, with Lady Iris and Pink Gin kicking clear to fight out the finish. The fillies were evenly-matched but Lady Iris just had the upper hand late, scoring comfortably by a length.
Marsh praised the fillies’ effort and has a black-type goal already in mind this autumn.
“She’s shown us plenty of speed in her trials and Billy (Pinn) thought after her last trial, she was certainly going to be a very good chance,” he said.
“She jumped, used the early speed, sat outside the leader and was nice. It was nice to see her do that on debut.
“She can go to Ellerslie in three weeks’ time, there’s a nice race there for her, she’s a nice strong filly. She’s always been a little bit small, but she’s grown into herself a bit so she should be able to go right on with it.”
The Ellerslie contest is the Listed Starway Stakes (1200m), run for $100,000 on April 19.
By U S Navy Flag, Lady Iris is out of a Stravinsky mare The Lady, who was a dual stakes-winner at two and also placed in the Gr.3 Eclipse Stakes (1200m). The Lady is a half-sister to Ruthless Lady, dam of Australian Group One winner Ruthless Dame.
Lady Iris was bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan alongside Ron Saunders, who races her with Nuala Grove.
