Sanderson Lands Group Two Kiss

New Zealand-bred mare Kiss (NZ) (Always B Miki) continued her dominance in Australia last Saturday when taking out the Group Two Vicbred Super Series (4YO Mares) Final (2240m) at Melton in the hands of Ryan Sanderson.

Despite drawing the ace marble, Sanderson didn’t want any part of the early speed and Kiss dawdled off the mobile arm to settle towards the rear of the field.

Sanderson was able to get on the back of The Answer (Sweet Lou) in the running line before following the Sweet Lou mare three-wide. Kiss improved to sit parked outside Sweet Ideal (Sweet Lou) with a lap to go, but while she had a half-length advantage, she was made to work hard for the lead, eventually finding the top down the back straight.

Sanderson upped the ante from the 600m, with Kiss opening up several lengths on her rivals, which she maintained to run out an eventual 4.1m victor.

Sanderson was rapt to get the win with the $1.33 favourite.

“I just grabbed hold and took no risk to get off the pegs and I didn’t want to risk getting boxed in, and then we were able to put her into the race and she made her own luck,” Sanderson told The Trots.

Kiss is out of Weownthenight, a daughter of Group One winner Tosti Girl, and a half-sister to Group One winner The Fixer and Group One performer The Honey Queen.

While unraced, Weownthenight is leaving her mark as a broodmare, with the daughter of Art Major also being the dam of Group One performer Midnight Miki (NZ) (Always B Miki).

Bred by Alabar, Kiss was offered through their 2021 NZB Standardbred National Weanling Sale draft where she was purchased by Dean Shannon, under his Montana Park banner, for $20,000.

She commenced her racing career in her homeland under the guidance of Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, for whom she won three and placed in three of her 11 starts, including runner-up performances in the Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million 3YO Fillies Final (2200m) and Group Two Delightful Lady Classic (1700m).

She then continued her career in Australia with Emma Stewart where she has won an additional eight races and placed in a further eight, with highlights including victory in the Group Two Breeders Crown (3YO Fillies) Final (2240m) and runner-up performance in the Gr.1 Victoria Oaks Final (2760m).

Kiss has now won 11 and placed in 11 of her 30 career starts to date and earned nearly A$280,000 in prizemoney.

JB Bloodstock will offer Lot 54, a full sister to Kiss, in the upcoming National Standardbred Yearling Sale, taking place at Karaka Monday 16 February. View JB Bloodstocks draft here. 

Vendor	Alabar (NZ) Ltd
Purchaser	Montana Park P/L
Owner(s)	Aaron Bain Racing Pty Ltd, Summit Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Imperial Racing & Bloodstock Pty Ltd, A Massoud, M C Field, T J Schiller, S Lapsley, T Walker, A M Evans, M Shuttleworth, B P Fitzgerald, B O'Keefe, N Rantanen-Reynolds, B D Godfrey
Breeding	Always B Miki - Weownthenight
Sale	2021 National Standardbred Weanling Sale ($20,000)
Breeder(s)	Alabar (NZ) Ltd