Racing: Southern filly upsets the northern favourites

Christchurch horse owner Brian Vieceli will be hoping for a group race winning double at the Wellington Cup meeting after the upset win of Italia on the first day.

Italia was at odds of 32-1 in taking out the group two $100,000 Wakefield Stakes (1200m) for 2-year-old at Trentham on Saturday.

Italia is owned by Kotuku Investments Ltd, a family business headed by Vieceli. He is also is part owner of Hurrah who is the topweight for next Saturday's group one $150,000 Thorndon Mile Handicap (1600m).

Italia and Hurrah are both from the Riccarton stable of Shane Kennedy and Ricky Carston. Kennedy is a son-in-law of Vieceli who has been supporting the stable since Kennedy first started training nearly 10 years ago.

"We have raced a lot of horses," Vieceli said. "But this is the first time as a family unit that we have won a group race, so it's a special thrill."

Italia cost $60,000 at the National Yearling Sales at Karaka last year and Carston said Vieceli and his son Louis were the mainstay of the stable.

"They are our most loyal owners," Carston said. "We would be buggered without them."

Carston s said confidence in Italia, a filly by Stravinsky, had been very high before she made a winning debut at Riccarton on December 10.

"We said to a quiet few, before her first start, this is the fastest 2-year-old we've ever had and she certainly showed it that day (at Riccarton)."

However Italia was beaten at her next outing when second to Udiditagain at Wingatui on December 26.

Consequently a question mark appeared over Italia's high rating and Carston admitted there was uncertainty over how she would measure up against the northern horses on Saturday.

"We have dented some reputations today that we didn't expect to do. It has been a surprise," he said.

The Wakefield was basically a trial to see if it was worth heading further north for New Zealand's richest 2-year-old race, the $500,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Classique (1200m) at Te Rapa, Hamilton, on February 4.

"We came up here hoping to run in the first five or six and then look at the classique."

Italia, ridden by Vinny Colgan, raced back of mid-field but came home strongly down the outside to score by three-quarters of a length from Udiditagain. It was third time Italia and Udiditagain had run first and second in the same race.

Udiditagain was unlucky. She raced back on the inner, was badly checked inside the last 200m and once into the clear ran home strongly. She is not eligible for the Classique as the race is restricted to horses sold through the National Yearling Sales.

Disappointments were the two favourites Chant and Del Sarto.

Chant weakened to seventh after sharing the lead with Jokers Wild while Del Sarto dropped out to 11th after being third at the top of the straight. Del Sarto's trainer Garry Barlow later reported the horse was suffering from shin soreness.

- NZPA