Promising filly Moozoon became the third stakes winner for her sire Perfectly Ready when she won the G3 Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham on Saturday to earn her first points in the NZ Bloodstock Filly of the Year series
With her first stakes success at her first attempt Moozoon added valuable black-type to her pedigree page for international owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.
The three-year-old was a last start winner only seven days prior at Counties for trainer Stephen McKee.
A strong challenge came from Miss Selby (O’Reilly) but she failed by a neck with favourite Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago) getting well-back before finishing third, four lengths from the winner.
“She did well because I was a bit worried about backing up after she had a six-week break before she won at Counties last week,” McKee said.
“She is out of a Montjeu mare so she could get a bit further. We will give her a try, she is still in the Oaks so we will see how she goes over 2000m next week.
“We will just concentrate on some more black-type with her now.”
This Group 3 success was the third win from seven starts for Moozoon who has now earned her international owner $54,725 in prizemoney.
The filly is out of the unraced Montjeu mare Mizzna while Perfectly Ready stands at Brighthill Farm, who look after Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum thoroughbred interests in New Zealand.
Perfectly Ready has two horses in this week’s Karaka Select Sale and seven horses in the Karaka Festival Sale.
Costa Viva’s third increased her lead in the Filly of the Year Series after gaining another 1.5 points to take her total to 20.5 points with three races left in the series.
Moozoon collected 6 points for her victory placing her equal sixth in the series with Miss Selby, who picked up 3 points as the runner-up on Saturday to go with the three points she earned in the G3 Eulogy Stakes.