South Island Filly Of The Year Reputabelle will join the Flemington stable of Mike Moroney later this month.
The daughter of Pins has proved a revelation this year for trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman, winning four races in succession between January and April, including two of the three autumn legs of the South Island filly Of The Year series.
The smart galloper demolished her rivals by nearly six lengths in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui before again prevailing in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.
Stretched to 2000m in the Listed Warstep Stakes, Reputabelle signed off with a third placing.
Bred by Waikato Stud, Reputabelle is raced by a group that includes New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance’s Jim Bruford who purchased the filly off gavelhouse.com for $14,000.
Reputable is out of the O’Reilly mare Really Reputabelle and is a sister to Group Three performer Florence Jean, while her half-relations Ocean’s Thirteen and Morse Code have won 15 races between them.
A shrewd judge, Bruford has previously enjoyed success with the likes of multiple Group One winner Savvy Coup, whom he purchased for $65,000 as a Karaka yearling; Group One performer Miss Tycoon Rose, who was purchased for $40,000 as a yearling at Karaka, while he went to $90,000 to purchase Miss Nico Belle, who was runner-up in last Saturday’s Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) and looks to have a bright future.
“Reputabelle will go over to Mike Moroney in mid-June to give her a good opportunity to acclimatise before she gets into her campaign,” Bruford said.
“I have got an existing relationship with the Moroney-Gerard stable, including a couple of nice two-year-olds that are currently with Pam.
“Mike has obviously taken Tofane through to be a multiple Group One winner and he has also placed Tokorangi to good effect over there.
“There is a Group race for fillies and mares every week from late August, so there is so much opportunity.”
Bruford believes the rising four-year-old will ultimately be seen at her best over 1400m and 1600m and he praised the efforts of the Pitman stable in developing Reputabelle to this point.
“To win four in a row, including two stakes races is no mean feat. Michael and Matthew have done a great job with her.”
Another talented Kiwi set to cross the Tasman is I Wish I Win, with the multiple Group One placegetter set to join the Peter Moody stable.
A three-year-old gelded son of Savabeel, I Wish I Win finished third in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) behind stablemates Imperatirz and On The Bubbles at his most recent outing in March, while he had been runner-up in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce (1400m) as a two-year-old.
Meanwhile, smart three-year-old filly There You Go, who is Melbourne-owned and won the Gr.3 John Grigg Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton in the spring for trainer Tony Pike, has joined the stable of Anthony and Sam Freedman.
