On a day when Golden Slipper winning sire Shinzo was making headlines when his yearling half-brother sold for US$1.1million at Keeneland September, a four year-old mare by Graff from his female family cast off maiden status with a facile win at Wellington.
The Greg McFarlane trained Blind Squirrel was having her second race start after showing pace and then fading at Gosford on debut last month.
Punters were all over Blind Squirrel this time and she went off favourite for the 900m maiden and duly bolted in by five lengths and change.
Blind Squirrel is the first winner for Aganippe, a winning Reset mare, whose dam Demetria is a half-sister to dual Group I winner Samaready, the dam of Golden Slipper winner Shinzo and Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Exhilarates.
It’s a great family that has also produced the young Aquis stallion Prost, a Group II winner by Snitzel and also untapped talent Omolong, an Extreme Choice 3YO colt that is two from two with stakes potential for this season.
Blind Squirrel is the 25th lifetime winner for Graff, who has relocated to Queensland and now stands at Eureka Stud at a fee of $9,900.
