Canterbury Belle next for Outback Girl

Timaru filly Outback Girl (Bivouac) has booked a return trip to Riccarton in a fortnight to contest the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) following her impressive maiden win at the Christchurch track on Saturday in the Cup Week Tickets On Sale – 1 September Three-Year-Old (1100m).

The daughter of Bivouac jumped away well and showed good early speed to cross race favourite Zafar (Snitzel) and make her way to lead. Apprentice jockey Kendra Bakker elected to keep to the better part of the track, three off the fence, and the pair hit the top of the straight a length clear of their rivals.

Bakker continued to sit patiently before asking Outback Girl to improve with 200m to go, and she quickly responded, putting daylight between herself and the rest of the field. She eventually ran out a 3-1/4 length victor over Glamour Extreme (Extreme Warrior), with a further three-quarters of a length back to Doubtable (Doubtland) in third.

Raced by Colin Wightman, Outback Girl showed potential when placing in two of her five starts as a juvenile, and ran fourth in both the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) and Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m).

Trainer Stephanie Faulkner knew her filly had plenty of talent and she was delighted to see her produce it on raceday.

“I knew she had a big heart and a lot of early speed, she is a tough wee thing,” she said.

Outback Girl looks to have inherited her family’s ability, with her second dam being Sarwatch (NZ) (Jetball), the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year in 2000, following her wins in the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m).

Faulkner is hopeful Outback Girl can follow in her footsteps and claim black type this spring, and she will get her first opportunity at Riccarton next month.

“I thought I would put her in today to see if she would shape up to go to the Canterbury Belle Stakes, so Canterbury Belle Stakes here we come,” Faulkner said.

Later on the card, Faulkner came close to scoring a winning double, with stablemate Shaking Stevens (NZ) (American Pharoah) finishing runner-up behind Shawshank (NZ) (El Roca) in the Listen Live On Sportnation.nz Open (1600m).