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A hard-fought victory by Raziah in Saturday’s Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton Park provided trainer Tony Pike and jockey Matt Cartwright with a second feature three-year-old success within the space of a week.
Pike and Cartwright teamed up seven days earlier at Hastings to take out the Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) with all-the-way winner Poetic Champion. Saturday's Canterbury Belle brought a different style of win by Raziah, but it was a similar story of impressive development between the ages of two and three.
Pike sent Raziah to the South Island this spring as a maiden, but the Niagara filly had placed in two of her three starts including the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui in June. Raziah had also shown promising signs with a stylish win in a 950m trial at Cambridge on August 30.
Raziah was sent out as a respected $8.40 third favourite in Saturday's Canterbury Belle Stakes, and she took her promising career up a notch with a valuable black-type win.
Cartwright rode Raziah patiently through the first half of the race and settled fourth-last before beginning to build momentum as the field left Riccarton's 1200m chute and joined the course proper.
Raziah had moved up to fourth by the top of the home straight, looming on the outside of Great Time, The Victress and Lavender Haze.
Cartwright drove Raziah home over the top of that trio. The talented filly surged to the front, then turned back a late challenge from Dream Of The Moon to score by half a neck.
Bred and raced by The Oaks Stud, Raziah has now had four starts for a win and two placings, banking $67,950.
"She's a very genuine filly who's obviously improved a lot from two to three," Pike said. "She just had a bit of a short run-up to be taking on the good three-year-olds up at home at this stage of the spring. It's a nice progression for her down here, and she'll only get better as she gets up over further as well. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season with her.
"Matt's riding really well. We've formed a great relationship with him since he came across from Australia. He gave this filly a peach of a ride today, tracking behind the speed and getting her out at the right time."
Raziah became the third black-type winner in New Zealand for Cartwright, who rode a feature double at Hastings last Saturday. Barely two hours after his Listed win with Poetic Champion, he landed a breakthrough Group One victory aboard Grail Seeker in the Tarzino Trophy (1400m).
"It's been a beautiful week," Cartwright said. "This filly was the main reason I came down here today. I thought she'd trialled up very well.
"Tony has gone a great job with her. She wasn't sharp early in the race, but she was really good late, so I think getting up in distance will suit her.
"She's a nice filly. She's put away a nice enough field today, so she should take confidence from that and go on with it."
The TAB now rates Raziah a $10 chance for the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 16. She shares third favouritism with Damask Rose, while the market is headed by Alabama Lass ($3) and Captured By Love ($4.50).
Raziah became the fifth individual stakes winner for Niagara, who stands at Hau Ora Farm for a service fee of $2,500.
The dam of Raziah is Justa Secret, who is a full-sister to the dam of last season's Group One-performed three-year-old Antrim Coast. Second dam Keepa Cruisin herself won the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) in the blue and white colours of The Oaks Stud, and she is a half-sister to the stud's champion mare Seachange.
