Panna Cotta’s timing perfect

Panna Cotta has made an impressive start to her career and her breakthrough victory at Te Aroha today was a timely one. The filly is bred and raced by WS, who will offer her half-sister by Savabeel during the Premier Sale at Karaka next year.

They are out of the O’Reilly mare Vanilla Sky, a winner of two races and also the mother of the Listed Lion Red Plate winner and Gr 1 Diamond Stakes runner-up Raid, who is a grand-daughter of the former champion galloper Emancipation. An international flavour is added to the family by the dual South African top-flight winner Rumya.

By Pins, Panna Cotta finished third on debut at Tauranga and was then second next time out at Matamata. Trainer Stephen Marsh said she was beaten by a wide draw there and was confident she could go one better today.

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