The New Year couldn’t have started on a brighter note for the folks at Burnewang North Pastoral when they cheered home Averau in the LR Bagot Hcp (2800m) at Flemington.
The consistent mare is the farm’s first stakes winner since setting up operations at Rochester.
“We started with just a few mares and have built up steadily in the past three or four years,” Burnewang owner Cathy Hains said. “It’s wonderful to see our brand carried to success in such devastating style in a good race at Flemington.”
Averau (5m Stratum – Merayaat by Viscount) lobbed along in second place and then took over to leave the decision in no doubt winning by more than three lengths. She had won two in a row at Moonee Valley before going down a nose in the LR Werr Classic at Werribee on December 14.
“She’s such a fit horse and she just keeps on going,” trainer Peter Morgan said. “We don’t have to do much with her and she just keeps on keeping on, she’s a very good stayer.”
Despite starting her current campaign back in August, connections have made tentative plans for the mare to cross Bass Strait for the Launceston Cup and Hobart Cups in February.
Burnewang North Pastoral bred and sold Averau for $48,000 at the 2010 Inglis Great Southern Foal Sale before going through the ring again when making $130,000 at the 2011 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
She is a younger half-sister to Reigning (Choisir) who won his fifth race for Chris Waller at Randwick in July. Second-dam Razzia (Scenic) is a sister to Group 1 winners Universal Prince and Universal Queen.
The Bagot result was the second for Burnewang North in as many days after emerging filly Von Costabeel opened her account at Gosford on New Year’s Eve.
Von Costabeel (3f Von Costa De Hero – Iresistabeel by Zabeel) was identified and purchased by trainer David Pfeiffer for just $20,000 from Burnewang North at the 2013 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.
Pfeiffer mentioned the $400,000 Queensland Oaks in May as a possible long-term mission.
Burnewang North has 7 yearlings parading at this year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions. Among the highlights are a Snitzel colt from stakes winner Huiskes (Lot 313), an Artie Schiller colt out of a sister to Kaphero (Lot 352) and a Sepoy filly from French stakes performer Maree Basse (Lot 421).