Tuxedo makes dream start

Three-year-old Tuxedo (ex Ball Gown) added performance to his rich pedigree page at Te Aroha Wednesday afternoon with a winning start to his career for the Waikato Stud-bred and sold son of Tivaci.

The Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray representative had impressed in both of his preparatory trials and sailed home over 1400 metres at the first time of asking.

He settled midfield on the outer under jockey Joe Doyle before picking up ground across the top and held a sustained finish in the straight.

“He’s still learning and will be progressive over a bit more ground, this will bring him on a lot,” Murray said.

Bred by Waikato Stud, Tuxedo was a $70,000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale graduate and is the first foal of the O’Reilly mare Ball Gown.

She has an unraced juvenile sister to Tuxedo and produced a filly last year by Super Seth before a return visit.

Ball Gown is out of a half-sister to the G2 Cal Isuzu Stakes winner and G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stake runner-up Sports Illustrated.

It is also the family of the multiple Group 1 winner and successful sire Starcraft and the G3 Dark Jewel Classic winner Fall For Cindy.