Quality youngster books Millions place

A Waikato Stud-bred filly from a potent juvenile family has secured a berth in the country’s richest two-year-old event.

Super Seth’s precocious daughter La Dorada (ex Gold Fever) produced an impressive performance on debut at Te Rapa this afternoon to bank the $23,000 winner’s cheque and book her spot in the Karaka Million.

The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained representative followed up her encouraging trial form to impress at the first time of asking over 1100 metres.

“We can sit back a bit now and freshen her and then definitely give her a look around Ellerslie before the Karaka Millions,” Te Akau Racing Manager Reece Trumper said.

“The team have been very happy with her, and she had trialled up well on wet tracks and we knew on better ground she would fly even higher.”

La Dorada was caught wide early before improving to be prominent at the top of the straight.

She hit the front before being headed and then rallied strongly under rider Vinnie Colgan to draw clear by a length and a-half.

“I drew well but the horse inside me didn’t go to the fence, and I was parked out a bit,” Colgan said.

“Her class came through and she was really gutsy.”

La Dorada was purchased by Te Akau’s David Ellis out of Waikato Stud’s draft at Karaka earlier this year for $190,000 and is a daughter of the G2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes winner and G1 Diamond Stakes placegetter Gold Fever.

Her half-sister Gold Rocks also triumphed in the Breeders’ Stakes and their dam Gold Rocks won the G2 Karrakatta Plate.

The pedigree page also features the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Golden Mile and the G1 Australian Derby winner Major Beel.

Gold Fever produced a colt by Tivaci last season before she visited Ardrossan.