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Exciting staying prospect Alma Rise was an impressive winner over 2000 metres on the Oaks Day undercard at Flemington in a case of all’s well that ends well.

The progressive daughter of our resident sire Almanzor was stuck behind a wall of horses at the top of the straight and when a gap finally presented itself, she was through in a flash and forged clear.

The four-year-old is trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman and now has four wins and three runner-up finishes from her seven starts.

“She’s a really classy mare and has been a bit immature both physically and mentally so we’ve taken our time with her,” Coleman said.

“We’ll see how she comes through this one and then take it step by step, but she is a really exciting horse to have in the stable.”

Alma Rise drifted well back on the fence and rider Luke Nolen was stuck in traffic before they were into clear air 250 metres from home and then powered clear to score by two and a-quarter lengths.

“I was just glad they stayed on their feet, it got pretty tight but Luke is very competitive and she’s a very good mare,” Coleman said.

Bred by Ed Calvert and raced with his family, Alma Rise is a daughter of the Bertolini mare Fashion Black, who was successful on six occasions.

Fashion Black is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner and sire Xtravagant whose brother He’s Remarkable was a Group 3 winner and placed at the elite level.

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Victoria Belle has fashioned a smart record as a broodmare and further success came the way of our daughter of Zabeel at New Plymouth.

All four of her foals to race have been successful, including multiple Singapore stakes winner Mr Clint and it was his half-sister Bellezor who is the latest member of the family to add to the honour roll.

The Paul Richards-trained mare enjoyed a successful trip to the Central Districts with a determined victory over 1400 metres against Rating 75 opposition.

A homebred daughter of Almanzor, she was slowly away before improving to settle three back near the fence.

Rider Courtney Barnes angled into the clear 300 metres from home and the five-year-old, purchased via the Gavelhouse platform for $14,500,finished determinedly to earn her third win from eight appearances.

We sold Bellezor’s half-sister by Hello Youmzain to Nigel Blackiston Thoroughbreds at Karaka earlier this year for $200,000 and Victoria Belle, who is from the family of two-time Group 1 winner Foxwood, is due to foal to Sword Of State.

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The old racing maxim that good barriers win races rang true for Frostfair at Ellerslie where she was further rewarded for her consistency.

Our homebred and raced daughter of Written Tycoon had jumped from awkward gates in her last two appearances and performed well to place on both occasions.

Trainer Lance Noble had been more than happy with the four-year-old’s lead-up efforts and was expecting a bold showing from an inside

barrier.

His hopes were fulfilled when rider Vinnie Colgan gave Frostfair a trouble-free run near the pace and she finished resolutely for her second win from six appearances and has yet to miss a top four finish.

Her victory completed a good day for the farm following stablemate Terra Mitica’s encouraging effort for third in her first run over ground this preparation in the G3 Balmerino Stakes.

Frostfair is a daughter of the Commands mare Thames Court, a gifted performer whose three victories included the G3 Alexandra Stakes and she was also a multiple black-type placegetter.

A daughter of the stakes winner Pantenny, Thames Courts’ Pierro colt sold to Busuttin Racing at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale last year for A$80,000.

Her daughter of Capitalist sold for $200,000 to Stephen Gray, Wattle Bloodstock and Toking at Karaka earlier this year.

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We are delighted to share that Probabeel welcomed a Snitzel filly into the world this week and both mum and foal are doing well post foaling.

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Well-performed Almanzor mare Qali Al Farrasha looks set for another lucrative campaign following her impressive return to racing at Ellerslie.The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson representative was resuming over a distance well short of her best, but in a fresh state she exploded clear to coast home at the end of 1400 metres.Qali Al Farrasha measured up well against the best fillies last season when she ran third in the G1 New Zealand Oaks, off the back of a runner-up finish in the G3 Sunline Vase, to earn a crack at another top-flight title at Morphettville.“She went to Adelaide for the Australasian Oaks, drew the outside and things didn’t work out, but she spelled brilliantly at the farm where Deane Lowcay, our bloodstock manager, and the team there had her looking really good for when she came back into training,” Walker said.“We’ve just brought her along nice and slowly and since she’s turned in the coat she started to really do well, and Nicole Shailer had her looking in great order at the stables.“I think she’s in for an exciting preparation as a middle-distance mare that can win like that over 1400 metres first-up. There was a lot to like about the way she won and how well she’s developed.”She is raced by breeders Te Akau Stud, Nearco Stud and Westonlea Bloodstock and is a sister to the unbeaten Listed Welcome Stakes winner Nucleozor, who is now in Hong Kong.Their dam is the Burgundy mare Nucleonic, who has produced a pair of colts by Hello Youmzain in the last two seasons.

Patiently handled mare Jaarffi emphasised she is on target for higher honours with a hollow victory at Ellerslie.Our homebred daughter of Iffraaj had raced keenly before getting home late for sixth when resuming at Te Rapa a month ago and her racing manners were much improved on her way to a runaway second-up victory over 1200 metres.“We’ll look toward the G2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes on Counties Cup Day now, it’s a step up to weight-for-age, but the 1400 metres and a long straight will be spot on for her,” trainer Lance Noble said.Jaarffi sat toward the back of a small field at Ellerslie and, once into the clear, she showed an explosive turn of foot to quickly out the issue beyond doubt.“She’s relaxing better with more racing, but she has been a difficult mare and not the easiest to train,” Noble said.Jaarffi was sent out a less than even money favourite and connections were confident of the five-year-old justifying her market support.“Last time, she was very fresh and raced quite fiercely,” successful rider Warren Kennedy said.“We expected her to be heard to beat and when she got into clear air she won effortlessly, we had the race in the bag 250 metres from home.” Jaarffi is a half-sister to the multiple winner and stakes performer Crystal Fountain with their dam the late Redoute’s Choice mare Rose Of Tralee.She was a half-sister to the three-time Group 1 winner Serenade Rose with Trekking another multiple top-flight winner on the pedigree page.

The only surprise about Victory Command’s breakthrough victory at Eagle Farm was that it hadn’t come much sooner.The Barry Lockwood-trained four-year-old son of Pierro had placed in nine of his previous 11 appearances, including a frustrating four runner-up finishes.However, good things come to those who wait, and the connections of our homebred and former high-priced yearling were able to enjoy an overdue celebration after the gelding saluted over 1800 metres.“We got a little bit further back than anticipated, I gave him the best ride I could and the best horse won,” successful apprentice Cody Collis said.They were tardily away to settle back on the fence before picking up ground cross the top and they finished best in the run home.Victory Command is out of the English-bred Makfi mare Subatomic and was secured out of our draft at New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for $850,000 by Queensland’s KPW Bloodstock.The dam is a half-sister to international stakes winners Worldly, Nice Danon and Donativum and her unraced Savabeel colt was purchased at Karaka last year by Chad Ormsby’s Riverrock Farm for $140,000.Karson Choi, of Hong Kong, bought Subatomic’s colt by Hello Youmzain for $120,000 at Karaka earlier this year and the mare is due to foal to Almanzor.

Gezora has displayed an admirable mix of talent and versatility during her brief career, which has now been significantly complimented by a stakes-winning strike.Bred and raced by our friends at Haras d’Etreham, the daughter of Almanzor finished fourth on debut before breaking her maiden next time out over 1800 metres for trainer Nicolas Le Roch.The filly then finished runner-up on top of the ground in the G3 Prix de Conde over the same trip at Chantilly before going one better over a mile on heavy going in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville.�The major question mark was how she would handle very soft ground because she only works on sand tracks at home, and she only ever gets on the grass when she goes to the races,� Le Roch said.�She has shown herself to be a very good filly on good going and ground with a little ease in it, so it's great that she handled this so well. “She just has a lot of quality, and she thoroughly deserves a break now.�Gezora is a daughter of the American-bred Silver Hawk mare Germance, whose record features a victory in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary and was second in the G1 French Oaks.

Te Akau Racing’s winning form in the Central Districts continued at Waverley on Sunday, with promising three-year-old Class claiming his maiden on debut in the Summit Electrical (1400m). The son of Embellish had made six appearances at the trials since mid-February this year and that experience was evident from the jump, gliding to the lead under Lily Sutherland and setting up a solid tempo.Fellow debutant Movin Out joined the gelding at the 600m but Class gained a break turning for home, showing a slick turn-of-foot to score easing down by 3 – ¼ lengths to Only The Lonely. Mark Walker, who trains Class in partnership with Sam Bergerson, anticipates the son of Embellish will only continue to improve as the distances rise. “It was a lovely positive ride by Lily and he’ll only get better as we step him up over more distance,” Walker said.“He was bred out at the farm, so he’s had plenty of time to develop and it’s always great to see the horses bred at Te Akau Stud as weanlings, then yearlings, and train on to win the way he did.“He may become the type once we get him up in trip, and with further maturity, that he could have a nice staying future.”Te Akau’s racing manager Reece Trumper added that Class will continue south from Waverley to the stable’s barn at Riccarton Park, with an intention to target the South Island Guineas’ races through the season. Class is a homebred galloper, with the Te Akau Opulent Syndicate breeding him alongside Glenn and Cathie Holmes. Te Akau principal David Ellis initially purchased the four-win dam, Opulent, as a yearling in 2013, and she has gone on to produce four individual winners including Luxuriant, Plenty O’ Style and the Australian-based Called To Account. “It’s always especially exciting for Karyn and I, and the Te Akau owners that breed horses like this, to see them win,” Ellis said.“Opulent is from one of the best families in the studbook and a beautiful filly with plenty of strength and great balance when we bought her as a yearling at Karaka.“She was a smart filly that worked effortlessly and looked the part when trialling as a two-year-old, and while she may not have reached the heights we hoped for, she has become a great mother and bred talented horses.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk