Easy as you like for Podium

Ocean Park mare Podium returned to competition with a facile victory on Sunday afternoon on her home track at Hastings.

Prepared by Guy Lowry for Waikato Stud, the four-year-old doubled her winning tally with ease in the hands of Kate Hercock.

They sat wide in midfield before improving near the turn and dashed clear in the run home to win by an effortless 4l.

Podium had been a stylish debut winner at Wanganui in the autumn and was then put aside after an interrupted run when unplaced at Rotorua.

A $13,000 purchase off Gavelhouse, she is a daughter of the Elusive Quality mare Quest For Quality, who was successful in Australia, and previous matings to Savabeel produced the winners Sparkling Facet and Quality Prevails.

Quest For Quality boasts an international pedigree as she is out of the unraced Danehill mare Rosnaree, who is half-sister to the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden and G1 Italian Derby winner Morshdi and a three-quarter sister to the G3 Turffontein Caradoc Gold Cup winner Ilitshe.