Despite being competitive at the elite level, it’s been 17 starts and 89 weeks since Luvaluva’s last win so it’s little wonder connections gave the 5yo daughter of Mastercraftsman (IRE) an enthusiastic cheer when she cruised to the lead coming over the rise in the Group III Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.
Given a gun ride by Koby Jennings, Luvaluva looked a class above her rival as she put two and three-quarter length on the Chris Waller-trained Black On Gold (Sebring) with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Taikomochi (Snitzel) a half-neck back in third.
Winning for the first time since the Group III Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick, Luvaluva advances her record to 5 wins, 3 2 from 27 starts with earnings of $766,014.
She was among the best three-year-old in the land two seasons back and besides the Adrian Knox Stakes and Summer Cup, Luvaluva won the Group II VRC Wakeful Stakes and the Group III Kembla Grange Classic and placed in the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes, Group II VRC Matriarch Stakes, Group III ATC Aspiration Hcp and was fourth in the Group 1 VRC Oaks.
Winning trainer John Sargent said it was a much-deserved win.
“It’s been a long time, about a year and a half since her last win, but she’s always raced against the best,” Sargent said.
“It’s taken a long time to get her back to her best. You often find that with three-year-olds when they come back against the older horses. It was a lovely ide by Koby.”
Luvaluva was purchased by her trainer for $55,000 from the Surrey Farm draft at the 2016 NZB Ready to Run Sale.
She carries the colours of Semour Bloodstock as does her promising 3yo half-brother Brandenburg (Burgundy) who has placed in the Group II ATC Stan Fox Stakes and Group III VRC Carbine Club Stakes and is also trained by John Sargent.
They are out of the unraced Galileo mare Wansesingyee, who was purchased at a N Z mixed sale in 2009 for just $500.
Wansesingyee a three-quarter sister to the Listed STC WJ McKell Cup winner Luvuleo (Galileo) from the family of stakes-winners Secret Flyer, Almazyoon, El Maze and Little Current.
Surrey Farm will offer a half-brother by Per Incanto (USA) to Luvaluva at the 2017 Ready to Run who failed to make his $90,000 reserve.
Now owned by Seymour Bloodstock, Wansesingyee has a 2yo filly by Fastnet Rock but missed to the champion son of Danehill last year.
