An Aussie bred filly by Russian Revolution, the Mark Walker trained Lara Antipova sailed through her juvenile season in New Zealand undefeated, but came unstuck when unplaced in her first Australian start last month.
That run, when unplaced in the Group III MRC Quezette Stakes behind Natural Fling proved misleading, as she was back to her brilliant best at Flemington on Saturday when beating the colts to win the Listed VRC Mike Moroney Stakes (1400m).
Ridden by Mark Zahra, Lara Antipova enjoyed a cosy run on the fence and surged to the front when a gap opened and had a good break with 100m to run. She was strong to the line winning by three-quarters of a length over Dundeel colt Aragog, who charged home late.
Mark Walker was hopeful he had Lara Antipova back to something like her best after the disappointing first up run in Melbourne.
"The main thing was, she just wasn't quite there in the coat and she'd come a long way,” said Walker.
"Ben and I took her to Mornington for a track gallop and we just knew when she galloped that day that she was somewhere near back to it.
"It's great today for the New Zealand industry that our form stacks up. She is a Group 1 winner at home and I know this is a Listed race, but it was a quality field today so it's just really good when our form stacks up.
"Hopefully we can go on to a Thousand Guineas from here.”
Lara Antipova was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, in conjunction with Fortuna Racing, for $100,000 out of Vinery Stud’s 2025 Magic Millions draft and has won five of seven starts with earnings just shy of $600,000.
"From here on in it will either be the Edward Manifold (G2 1600m) or the Bill Stutt Stakes (G2 1600m against the colts) and those are set weights,” said Walker.
"She done the hard yards carrying the weights and now she goes back to level weights, so that should be suitable."
The race was run for the first time named in honour of the much-loved Kiwi trainer Mike Moroney, so it was only fitting a Kiwi trainer should win the race.
"I spent many a year with Mike at Matamata in the early days before he came over to Adelaide and then Melbourne and he was just an absolute gentleman,” Walker added.
"He was always full of good stories, we had a lot of banter at the Matamata track over the years."
Bred by Eden and Jenni Harrington and foaled and raised at Vinery, Lara Antipova is the best of four winners from five foals to race from Artistic Lass, a metro winning half-sister by Myboycharlie (IRE) to Group winners Sistine Angel and Sistine Demon.
Vinery Stud sold a three-quarter brother by In The Congo to Lara Antipova at Inglis Classic this year for $150,000 to Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing / Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
Artistic Lass produced a colt last spring by Stay Inside and was then covered by the Golden Slipper winner again.
The Champion New Zealand 2YO last season, Lara Antipova is one of three Group I winners for Russian Revolution joining Libertad and Communist.
The Group I winning son of Snitzel is super value at Newgate at a fee of $33,000.
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