Etoile Filante Avondale Cup bound

1 February 2014

WS graduate Etoile Filante returned an ideal dress rehearsal for an upcoming Group Two test when she posted the fifth win of her 11-start career at Te Rapa today. The Pins four-year-old’s victory in the Haliton Cup in her open class debut has confirmed plans to shoot for a higher prize at Ellerslie on February 15.

“This was a lead-up to the Avondale Cup and that’s always been the plan and we’ll see what happens after that,” co-trainer Peter Williams said. “I don’t think she’s a real two mile (3200m) horse at the moment – she might be later on and I don’t want to over-tax her too much.”

Etoile Filante was bred by WS with David Williams, who races the daughter of the Zabeel mare Etoile Du Nord. The Matamata stud sold her O’Reilly colt for $75,000 during last week’s Premier Sale at Karaka and two years previously a brother realised $160,000.

The Corner with Garry Chittick

The two of you will be aware of my ongoing concern as to the future of our sport. You could argue I have a vested interest; well, I did have, but my interest now is to give the future generations the opportunity my generation had. Now I can tell you, hand on heart, there were many financial thin times. 1975 was my fledgling start with five mares on 130 acres that occasionally flooded with the well-bred, non-race-winning Super Gray.

12 August 2026

Classy Debut Victory For Major Beel’s Brother Savagram

From a pedigree known all too well by the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, 3yo Savabeel colt Savagram (NZ) kicked off his race career in the best possible way, highlighting himself as a potential black-type performer.