A competitive juvenile fillies maiden at Bendigo on Thursday attracted a strong field with victory going to a Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman trained daughter of Written By.
With a recent barrier trial win at Traralgon under her belt, Versaille ended up starting favourite and did a good job for Luke Nolen drawing clear at the finish to win by a length and a half.
Versaille was a $150,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Widden Stud for Dalziel Bloodstock / Moody Racing and Wyile Dalziel was on hand to greet the filly as she returned to scale.
“She was well prepared by Peter and Katherine and is a filly they have always had a good opinion of,” said Dalziel.
“She didn’t have a lot of love at the sales and was actually passed in, but a good owner of ours John Robinson bred her with Widden Stud and we liked the horse and liked Written By, who we thought was doing enough, so we ended up putting the deal together.
“She’s a nice running filly and we thought she’d handle the wet surface no problems, but we also thought she’d improve from today.”
Versaille is the second winner from stakes-placed Beneteau mare Jeanneau, whose fourth dam Oceana is a sister to influential sire Storm Bird.
Widden Stud sold a Trapeze Artist colt from Jeanneau at Inglis Easter this year for $170,000 to Portelli Racing and she has a weanling colt by Portland Sky.
Written By has sired 37 winners this season highlighted by Group II ATC Silver Slipper winner Straight Charge and stands at a fee of $22,000 at Widden this spring.
