With bigger plans ahead, be it this campaign or the next, connections have themselves a lovely filly for the future as the Kris Lees trained Cantiamo resumed on the Kensington track with a first up victory.
Extremely short in the market off the back of a recent explosive Gosford barrier trial win where she was partnered by race day jockey James McDonald, the daughter of Too Darn Hot settled in fourth with John Sargent’s Autumn Blonde (The Autumn Sun) leading at a slow pace.
As the home turn was reached and fellow Too Darn Hot filly Nullarbor Jane darted between the leading duo to take the lead, McDonald was slowly warming up aboard Cantiamo as his filly chased down the leader.
While the victory was narrow, the manner in which Catinamo won suggests there are better things in store for the well-related filly.
A win for the runner up Nullabor Jane doesn’t appear that that far away, while third placed filly Solar Dance (Cosmic Force) got up just on the line ahead of her stablemate and race leader Autumn Blonde who held on for fourth.
“Slow run race, she'll learn a lot from today,” stated Lees post race.
“The second horse went really well and it's race fit it's been up and going so I think there's still a bit of merit to the win.
“She's a work in progress, as you saw in the parade, she's got a lot of improvement to come, and I think she'll measure up to some better races in time.
As for where she will head this time in Lees will just play the wait and see game with Cantiamo.
“We'll see how she comes through today, whether we test her in a better company now or just try and place her softer. We'll get a better guide in the next week or so.”
“When it goes up heavy, we've been waiting for a while to send her to the races, so we've pretty much had to go, but it's not the ideal scenario to step them out first. first time out, but she's done a good job.
The first leg of a race to race double for McDonald, the Champion jockey was pleased with the winning effort of Cantiamo.
“She's a beautiful filly,” enthused McDonald.
“She's obviously got a long way to go. This will be a big prep for her, but she did a really good effort today.
“The win was probably better than it looked, to be fair, because they only went slow and really dashed the last two furlongs. And credit to the second one. Obviously, it had a very light weight on its back, but it skipped really quickly and had us chasing out of our comfort zone a few away from home, so she was good.”
Purchased from the draft of Sledmere Stud at the Inglis Classic yearling sale for $220,000 by her trainer and agent Bahen Bloodstock, the Philippa Duncan Bloodstock-bred filly is the second winner from three to the races from Rothesay mare Valencay, a half-sister to Danehill’s Listed winner Lucida and the multiple Group 1 placed Flora Danica.
A grand-daughter of the speedy, Group 2 winning Zabeel mare Peruzzi from the famed Diamond Lover family, Cantiamo lacks nothing on pedigree.
Valencay foaled a colt by Harry Angel the following season after Cantiamo, and after not being covered in the subsequent season, she is due to foal this spring to Darley’s Bivouac.
Too Darn Hot is the sire of 27 international stakes highlighted by four individual Group 1 winners led locally in Australia by multiple Group 1 winner Broadsiding who has retired to stand his first season at a fee of $66,000 (inc. GST) alongside his sire, who will command a fee of $275,000 (inc. GST) at Darley Kelvinside.
