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Montefilia scores on debut at Newcastle
Darley's first-season sire Kermadec (Teofilo) sired his first winner at Newcastle on Friday courtesy of Montefilia's (2 f ex Bana Wu by Shirocco) victory in the Sharp Electronics Group 2YO Handicap (1400m) on debut.
Send off an unfancied $51 shot, the David Payne-trained filly stayed on strongly all the way to the line to beat Much Much Better (Stratum) by a head, while well-fancied pre-race favourite Toscanini (Fastnet Rock) finished another half a length away in third.
Montefilia was purchased by Dean Harvey's Baystone Farm as a weanling for $62,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale from the Tyreel Stud draft, she was then subsequently re-offered by the same farm at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and was snapped up by Payne for $130,000.
The filly becomes the second winner out of British-bred stakes placed Shirocco (Monsun) mare Bana Wu, who was sold by Tyreel Stud for $92,500 at the 2018 Inglis Australian Broodmare and Weanling Sale to Victorian breeder Sean Duke.
The filly's third dam is Group 3 winner Ausherra (Diesis), who in turn produced Group 2 winner Strategic Prince (Dansili) and Listed winner Yorkshire (Generous).
The filly's Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) half-sister was purchased by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace for $160,000 during the Showcase Session of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale last week and she was offered by Shadow Hill Throughbreds and was catalogued as Lot 542.
Bana Wu has a weanling colt by Darley shuttler Ribchester (Iffraaj) and is not in foal this season having missed to that same sire.
Dual Group 1 winner Kermadec stood at Darley's Kelvinside base in 2019 where he covered 122 mares at a fee of $16,500 (inc GST). Evergreen Stud will offer the only yearling by the sire at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and the colt will go through the ring as Lot 22.
