First Winner for Miss Andretti

Less than 24 hours before the running of this year's Group I King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, the 2007 winner of that race, Miss Andretti, has at long last produced her first winner.

While other champion race mares such as Black Caviar and Makybe Diva have been able to produce a smooth succession of foals on retirement, the path of motherhood has not proven as easy for the 2006/2007 Australian Horse of the Year Miss Andretti.

Her first foal, born in 2009, was a colt by Exceed and Excel called Mr Villeneuve that never raced and her second is a three year-old Nicconi colt called Mr Hamilton.

Retained to race by Sean Buckley's Ultra Racing, who also raced his mother, Mr Hamilton had two starts last year for Robert Smerdon including a second placing at Sale and was having his first run for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young at Pakenham on Tuesday.

He was sent out favourite for the 1000 metre maiden and duly cruised home to win by nearly two lengths.

After four unproductive seasons (slipped and misses) at stud between Mr Villeneuve and Mr Hamilton, Miss Andretti seems to have gotten the hang of motherhood as she has a two year-old colt by Shamus Award called Mr Coulthard and a weanling colt by the same sire.

Mr Hamilton is the 101^st winner this season for Widden Stud's quiet achiever Nicconi, who stands at a fee of $24,750 this spring.

Footnote : For the record, Miss Andretti was the superstar sprinter of her time starting her career in Western Australia before transferring to the stable of Lee Freedman. She won 19 of 31 starts earning $2.8 million with highlight Group I wins including the VRC Newmarket Handicap in course record time.