After five placegetters from seven runners, the late Widden Stud stallion National Defense (GB) spectacularly got off the mark with the debutant Peace Treaty thumping her rivals in an 1100m maiden at Ballarat on Sunday.
Ridden by Beau Mertens for Anthony and Sam Freedman, Peace Treaty gave her supporters little concern in a four-and-a-half length victory over the Impending filly Pendante with the Sir Prancealot (IRE) filly Credit Controller a short-neck back in third.
Bred by Cityview Farm, Jeff Flynn, and Rossi Biddle, Peace Treaty was a $50,000 purchase for Roll The Dice Racing / Rogers Bloodstock from the Widden Stud draft at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
She is the second winner from as many to race for the 3-time winning Statue Of Liberty (USA) mare Relaunch.
A half-sister to Listed stakes-winner Cavaloce (Testa Rossa), Relaunch has a yearling filly by Frosted (USA) and was covered by Hellbent last spring.
National Defense (GB) was a €280,000 purchase for Sun Bloodstock at the 2015 Arqana August Yearling Sale.
The son of Invincible Spirit was crowned champion two-year-old colt in France following his win in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in 2016.
The sire of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Twilight Gleaming from his first European crop, National Defense (GB), retired to the Irish National Stud in 2018. He was due to shuttle to Sun Stud the same year but did not make the trip after an injury.
His three southern hemisphere seasons yielded 125 live foals, with 79 coming from his first crop. National Defense (GB) died at Widden Stud in 2022.
