Swettenham Stud

History making filly Katie Lee (3 Gr. F. Pins – Miss Jessie Jay, by Spectacularphantom) displayed a new weapon in her arsenal when winning the $100,000, Group II, Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) for three-year-old fillies at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

Katie Lee just holds out Adaline

The muscle used to fight her way clear and acceleration she had shown to incredible effect when creating history with a 1000 and 2000 Guineas double at Riccarton was almost overshadowed by a mixture of cunning and sheer guts to win on Saturday.

After racing in midfield on a genuine pace, Katie Lee had seven lengths to make up on the leader Blonde Bombshell (Towkay), still going along at a merry bat passing the 600 metres.

Flushed wide on the home turn, she sprinted hard under rider Opie Bosson to arrest the lead at the 150 metres, and while victory looked hers for all money, a late challenge by Adaline (Court Of Jewels x Red Covet (by Sir Covet)) changed the complexion over the concluding stages.

For it seemed that once Katie Lee realised she was under siege, and tank was almost empty, she changed stride, swished her tail, and threw herself across the line with her head and neck fully extended. The second filly Adaline was a head back ready for her next big stride as she hit the line; she is a vastly improved and a rapidly improving filly who looks a serious AJC Oaks filly in 2010.

Such an amazing will to win. She got home by a head from the Stephen McKee-trained Adaline, who like Katie Lee will front up again at Ellerslie next Saturday to contest the Group two Royal Stakes over 2000 metres, if everything goes to plan with the pair in the interim, with McKee suggesting a step up in distance should suit his filly.

Blonde Bombshell, an impressive last start winner at Ellerslie, stuck gamely to her task when finishing two and a half lengths away in third, ahead of another smart last winner on the course, Street Party (Handsome Ransom), who ran a highly creditable fourth.

Not for the fainthearted, the mile was covered in a sizzling time of 1:33.69, last 600 metres in 35.14.

For owners Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan to win the race also as sponsor, named after their broodmare sensation Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight), the victory and recent successes by Katie Lee has been a tremendous thrill, and puts her well on the way to winning the New Zealand Bloodstock filly of the year series that Sir Patrick had targeted. Interestingly, most pundits missed the close tie up with Adaline’s sire Court of Jewels being by Danehill form a daughter of Eight Carat. This would have been his first stakeswinner and what a fitting race it would have been.

Sir Patrick said if he sensed the fillies were better than the colts he might have a look at the Derby, but otherwise the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic at Te Rapa on February 13 and the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 20 were other options to consider.