Bradley claims home feature with exciting filly

Local filly She’s No Saint (Prague) put her contemporaries on notice for the rest of the spring following her dominant win in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka on Saturday.

The race has long been in the crosshairs for trainer Michelle Bradley, who raced her filly over winter, where she built nicely into her target race, winning at Ellerslie over 1200m in June before replicating that result on her home track a fortnight ago over 1100m.

Punters flocked to debut winner Shalabiya (NZ) (Brazen Beau) for the Northland Breeders’, with the half-sister to Group One winner Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) jumping a $1.50 favourite, while She’s No Saint had solid support as the $5.40 second elect.

She’s No Saint sprung the gates, with jockey George Rooke stoking up his charge to vie for the lead. However, there was plenty of speed inside the pair and they were forced to work hard to find the top, and She’s No Saint continued to race keenly up front.

Turning for home, Shalabiya and State Of Valour (NZ) (Sword Of State) loomed ominously, but She’s No Saint kicked again, and to the roar of her local supporters, she distanced her rivals, eventually running out a 3-3/4 length victor over Shalabiya, with 1-1/4 lengths back to Silhouette in third.

Bradley was beaming with emotion post-race, with the local horsewoman happy that her plan had come to fruition.

“It is great when you have got a plan and it comes off,” she said. “I was a little bit worried when she was racing a bit keenly, but George knows what he is doing and I left it up to him.”

While hopeful of a bold showing, Bradley admitted she didn’t expect her filly to win the race in such convincing fashion.

“I wasn’t expecting that, she has really surprised me,” Bradley said. “With her races and trials previously, I have spaced them a month out, so this is the first time she has gone two weeks (between runs). I am super happy for the owners, it is fantastic.

“She is just maturing more and more, and she is developing into a lovely filly. Around the stables she is so quiet, but to ride, you have still got to be awake, you can’t go to sleep on her.

“She is just doing everything with ease, which is fantastic.”

Bradley said there is still plenty to work on with her filly’s racing manners, but she is relieved She’s No Saint has now earned black-type, which has taken the pressure off slightly.

“One thing I would take out of today is that I would like her to settle a little bit,” Bradley said. “Whether that needs to be in behind and get some cover, but we have got black-type now.”

While the Northland Breeders’ has always been the main aim, Bradley said she has been mapping out a plan to get to the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November, and she is hopeful it works out.

“This was our target, but I have already sat back and worked out from the Group One (1000 Guineas), if we get there,” she said. “You have got to plan like that and be ready for those races. It might work out, it might not, you don’t know. From 1200m to a mile is a big step up. To get today ticked off the bucket list is fantastic.

“We will see how she come through it and on to the next race, which will be over 1400m, and we will go from there.”

She’s No Saint was initially purchased out of Fairhill Farm’s 2024 Australian Weanling Sale by Highline Thoroughbreds and bloodstock agent Paul Moroney for A$65,000 as a pinhooking prospect.

She failed to reach her $100,000 reserve at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2025 Book 1 Yearling Sale, but she had caught Bradley’s eye when inspecting the filly, and a deal was subsequently brokered.

She’s Not Saint has now won three of her seven starts and more than $132,000 in prizemoney.