Floria Makes Her Mark At Stakes Level

27 November 2011

Lightly-raced mare Floria became Savabeel’s latest black-type performer when she finished a courageous third in Saturday’s Gr 3 Eagle Technology Stakes. The four-year-old jumped several grades to take her place and she gave a fine sight at Ellerslie to kick on valiantly after making all the play in front.

The winner of two of her previous nine starts, she is trained at Ardmore by Stephen McKee and is out of the Centaine mare Aria. She won four times and is a half-sister to the Listed Matamata Cup winner Agamemnon.

Floria’s fourth dam is the former crack filly Solveig who won the Gr 1 New Zealand Oaks at three and later the Gr 1 Thorndon Mile and the Gr 1 Avondale Cup. She left the Gr 3 Stan Fox Stakes winner Greig and it is also the family of the Gr 1 Sydney Cup winner Gallic.

The Corner with Garry Chittick

It is difficult to maintain momentum when sitting in judgment of racing’s governance. After all, I get no pleasure in searching for non-credible decisions, but one is perpetually bewildered by the rationale behind many of the positions that make little sense.

26 August 2026

Shailer pair building nicely into spring campaigns

WS-breds Justin Case and Magice contributed to a memorable season for Kris Shailer in his return to the training ranks last term, and he is hoping they can continue their form into the new season.