3 minute read

Relishing the 2000-metre distance, Karaka graduate Renaissance Woman (NZ) (Reliable Man) stepped out of the shadow of some of the spring’s star fillies and scored a valuable blacktype win in Saturday’s A$200,000 Group Three Schweppes Ethereal Stakes at Caulfield.

The classy filly was a $250,000 purchase by Attunga Stud from Book 1 of Karaka 2021. From six starts, she has recorded two wins and earned A$160,000 in stakes, with her value now far beyond that as a Group Three winner during Melbourne's esteemed spring carnival.

Trained at Warwick Farm by expat New Zealander Bjorn Baker, Renaissance Woman was a maiden winner at Scone in July.

Baker tested her against some of the best of her generation during the Sydney spring, making up late ground for sixth in the Group Two Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and seventh in the Group One Flight Stakes (1600m). Star filly Zougotcha (Zoustar) won both of those races, and those quality fields also produced last week's Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) heroine Madame Pommery (No Nay Never).

Renaissance Woman was clearly crying out for more ground, and when she got it in Saturday's Ethereal at Caulfield, she delivered a supreme performance.

Patiently ridden by Josh Parr, Renaissance Woman was still last at the top of the straight, but then unleashed a withering run down the outside and swept to victory by three-quarters of a length.

"The physical development she has made has been great," Parr said. "I trialled her at Rosehill and then rode her in a race at Canterbury, and I was quite upbeat about the feel that she gave me.

"She just needed time at that particular moment, and she's had that now, got down here in the spring, and she's really furnished into a lovely filly.

"I was confident in my pursuit of catching the lead group. I had a lot of horse, but I had to take my time. She needed my help around Caulfield the first time, so I had to assure her around the bend. We took care of them in the straight and were victorious, which was great."

Renaissance Woman was bred and sold by Westbury Stud, and she became the 20th individual stakes winner for Westbury stallion Reliable Man.