Game filly Affaire A Suivre has overcome a horror draw to take out the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on Saturday for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
After drawing the widest barrier in a final field of 16, the New Zealand-bred daughter of Astern was made to earn it the hard way but was still too strong on the line for Western Australian visitor She's Fit ($8) with stablemate to the winner Jennilala ($8.50) a further length back in third place.
Maher has had an opinion of his three-year-old for some time despite Affaire A Suivre being well held at Coleraine and Pakenham in her first preparation last spring.
But he believes the penny has dropped in the past couple of outings, with the Oaks triumph following a Cranbourne maiden success in March and victory in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) a fortnight ago.
"We always didn't mind her, but you can see she's such a big scopey filly," Maher said post-race.
"She just needed that time and she's really come into her own this preparation, put the writing on the wall last start.
"We had the visitors draw but Johnny (Allen), I'll have to watch it again, I think he did cover a fair bit of ground.
"I think she's got a really bright future, she'll probably go further. She may even end up in Queensland (for the Oaks, Gr.1 2200m)."
With the Morphettville Racing Club paying tribute to the recent passing of jockey Dean Holland before the race, winning hoop Allen explained it was quite an emotional service given he had developed a strong bond with Holland.
"You could hear a few tears flowing and I probably left a few flowing myself," Allen said.
"I'd like to dedicate that to Dean Holland and his family.
"It was three years ago down here that I became close friends with him and we had to isolate during Covid for two weeks in a house with him.
"Ever since then we became close friends and you couldn't have picked a better family to spend two weeks locked in a house with."
Allen praised the efforts of Affaire A Suivre, who sports the colours of syndicators First Light Racing.
“It was a good, tough effort and I wasn’t sure we had won crossing the line,” he said. “We were caught on a limb early but we were able to get in three-wide and get a bit of a rest through the middle stages.
“We still had to get out and get rolling early because the one I was following probably wasn’t going that well. We were in front a long way out and she did a good job to hold on.
“I was quite impressed with her a few weeks ago. I was confident coming here but a bit worried about the barrier, but it all worked out.”
Affaire A Suivre was bred by Courtney and Mandy Howells, who are based at Ainsley Downs Stud in Te Kauwhata. She is the second stakes winner out of the American-bred mare Laurelling, who is also the dam of the Listed Scone Cup (1600m) winner Laure Me In.
The filly becomes the 18th New Zealand bred Group One winner in Australia this season from 63 Group One races, or 28.5 percent.
Since Affaire A Suivre was foaled in the spring of 2019, Laurelling has produced colts by Ocean Park and Darci Brahma, and she was served by Proisir in the 2022 breeding season.
Affaire A Suivre was offered by Ainsley Downs Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, where she was bought for $75,000 by First Light Racing, Paul Willetts, Ciaron Maher Racing and David Eustace. In the Covid-affected year, the recommendation of Sarah Worker and Conor Fahy of Kawa Park, who both previously worked for the leading stable before returning to New Zealand, played a significant role in the purchase.