Sacred Falls mare a richly deserved winner

Salto Angel (NZ) ridden by Damian Lane wins the Spendthrift Australia Employee of the Year - Warwick Defoe Maiden Plate at Werribee Racecourse on December 05, 2021 in Werribee, Australia. (Brett Holburt/Racing Photos)

Salto Angel finally got the monkey off her back when she broke her maiden at Werribee on Sunday
afternoon.

The 4-year-old daughter of Sacred Falls, who was co-bred by Waikato Stud with Kylie Fawcett and
Eddie Wright, had failed to salute in her previous 13 starts for trainer Danny O’Brien.

However, she had showed her quality last season when runner-up in both the G1 VRC Oaks and the
G3 Ethereal S. and was second in the in the Listed VRC St Leger.

Salto Angel was then given a break and was unplaced when resuming at Ballarat before successfully
stepping up to 2000 metres in the hands of Damian Lane.

She was purchased out of Waikato Stud’s draft at new Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale
by O’Brien for $130,000 and is a half-sister to the G1 Queensland Oaks winner Miss Keepsake and
the G2 Japan-New Zealand International Trophy winner Vilifye.

The pedigree page also boasts the presence of the multiple Group 1 winner and successful sire
Grosvenor.

https://twitter.com/WaikatoStud/status/1467327867994271748

Recent News
13 June 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

I gave The Corner a miss last week. After all, how could I compete with the expose Mike Guerin published in the NZ Herald. Let’s be fair, I am sure the two of you who …

Read More
12 June 2026

Friendships, fate and a first winner

Ocean Park filly Bridie delivered apprentice Tom Wingram his first career winner at New Plymouth today — a moment made possible by three decades of friendship and the racing gods aligning perfectly.

Read More