Miss Leopatra Earns Deserved Stakes Victory

New Zealand-bred filly Miss Leopatra (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) was rewarded for her consistency with a deserved maiden stakes victory in the Group Three Westral 3YO Fillies Diamond Classic Final (2130m) at Gloucester Park last Friday.

Bred by Kelvin Home Holdings Ltd, Miss Leopatra is by champion stallion Bettor’s Delight and out of winning Christian Cullen mare Reklaw’s Gem, a half-sister to Group One performers Motu Crusader (NZ) (Courage Under Fire) and Motu Meteor (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight), and the dam of Group One performer Tempting Tigress (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight).

Miss Leopatra was offered through Kelvin Home Holdings’ 2024 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft in Christchurch where she was purchased by Kingseat Standardbreds for $65,000.

She made her way to Western Australia and made her debut at Gloucester Park last June, where she placed over 1730m. The Cameron Ross-trained filly placed on a further two occasions as a juvenile before heading for a spell.

She benefited from the break and following a first-up fourth placing at Pinjarra in February, she won five of her next six starts, with her only unplaced run coming when fourth in the Group Three 3YO Caduceus Club Classic (2130m) two starts back.

Punters took note of Miss Leopatra’s impressive form line and subsequently backed her into a $1.28 favourite.

From her handy draw of three, Miss Leopatra showed good speed off the gate, but was made to work to find the front by Sovereign Jewel (American Ideal), and eventually found it after a couple of hundred metres.

Driver Jocelyn Young was able to dictate terms up front and Miss Leopatra’s distinctive white blaze led the way throughout, with Sovereign Jewel her only challenger down the straight, and she was able to hold off the American Ideal filly to win by a neck.

Miss Leopatra has now won five and placed in three of her 12 starts to date and has earned more than A$70,000 in prizemoney.