Courte Zarindi made up for bad luck at her previous start to score an upset win in Saturday’s Listed New Zealand Bloodstock NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui.
The daughter of Any Suggestion toppled the even money favourite Excelleration to succeed in her black type quest.
She bypassed the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m), which was won by Global Thinking with Courte Zarindi a luckless third.
She had to be steadied at a vital stage, was held up rounding the final bend and bumped heavily close to home.The bargain buy made her own luck on Saturday under apprentice jockey Tina Comignaghi, who was aboard for the first two of the filly’s unplaced career starts.
Comignaghi got the call for Saturday’s memorable ride at the request of owners Bill McNamara and his grandson Sam Fryer.“It was a nice surprise,” Ascot Park trainer Sally McKay said. “We were just looking to get a run into her for the two races for fillies coming up at Christchurch.
“I thought the 1400m would be too short for her but she did it easy.”The two races on Courte Zarindi’s programme are theListed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) on April 7 and the Listed NZ Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) a fortnight later.
“The mile will be perfect and the 2000m shouldn’t worry her,” McKay said. “She’s a lovely horse with a very bright future.”Big offers have already been knocked back for the filly,who descends from the family of the mighty mare Horlicks.
McKay couldn’t believe her luck when the filly was knocked down to her at a Karaka weanling sale for $600.“I bought six at that sale but she was the one I really wanted, I was shocked when I got her so cheap – it’s all I had in the bank at the time,” she said.
