Te Akau trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson and Fortuna Racing made an impact early on the programme at Riccarton, when Mitre Peak (3 f More Than Ready – Liten Prinsessa, by Bernardini) won the $17,000 Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series Maiden Fillies & Mares 1200 metres – and collecting an additional $20,000 Pearl Series Bonus on top of her winning prize money. Breaking through to the winners circle at her fifth start, Mitre Peak improved notably last start when finishing strongly for fourth in the Maiden 1200 metres on 16 May, also on the poly track at Riccarton, and had 15 days between runs to score on 31 May.

Away well from barrier two to trail for Te Akau apprentice Niranjan Parmar, Mitre Peak capitalized on a rails run in the straight and gamely held a winning advantage inside the 200m. Running 1200 metres in 1:10.3 on the poly track, she won by a neck after drifting in market fluctuations from $4.60 to pay $6.40 & $1.70 on the NZ TAB tote.

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Mitre Peak became the 65^th win for the premiership leading trainers from their southern stable at Riccarton, and they have established a terrific 3.9 strike rate this season at the Riccarton base. “It’s always good to get a winner for Fortuna Racing,” Walker said. “They are great supporters of Te Akau. She’s been a slower maturing filly, but she’s got a lovely pedigree and that will enhance her value after winning today. It was a lovely ride of Parmar’s. He’s riding with a lot of confidence and got the timing of the race to perfection. She will continue to improve with time, also, but really starting to put it altogether now.”

Owned by Fortuna Mitre Peak Syndicate (Manager: John Galvin), she was purchased for $60,000 by David Ellis CNZM/Fortuna Racing at Inglis 2022 Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney.

“We didn’t pay a lot of money for her, but she’s got a lovely pedigree,” said John Galvin, while packing for Melbourne, in preparation for last start hurdle winner Leaderboard (Street Cry) contesting the Australian Hurdle (3900m) on Sunday at Sandown. “She was actually passed in at that Inglis sale, but with Mark Walker’s help, we chased her down and  managed to get her for the price she was passed in at, so it was good buying. Mark and Sam have been very patient with her, giving her the time she’s needed to mature, and she had been building towards a win. Her last start was very encouraging. She got a nice trip today and was well handled by Parmar. He got her into a nice spot and the leader rolled off the rail, so she never went around a horse. She’s still furnishing physically, but she’s in great order, still has a really nice coat, and I think she’s in the right place. Sending her south has been a good call and she obviously likes the synthetic (poly track).”

MITRE PEAK records her Maiden win – Riccarton Synthetic 31st May – Niranjan Parmar aboard

From the last crop of world renowned sire More Than Ready (Southern Halo), with over 2000 winners, Mitre Peak is from Liten Prinsessa, by another worldwide acclaimed sire Bernardini (A. P. Indy).

Liten Prinsessa, winner of four races to 1400 metres in Australia, is a sister to Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) winner and Champion Two-Year-Old Ruud Awakening, now the dam of Group Three winner Rise Of The Masses (Russian Revolution). Both Liten Prinsessa and Ruud Awakening are out of Dawn Almighty (Danehill), dam of seven individual winners of 31 races, while the family includes dual Group Two winner Ruud Van Slaats (Van Nistelrooy), whose daughter Smashing (Pins) was trained by Te Akau to win six races and stakes place twice. Mitre Peak carries a Northern Dancer cross on the dam line of both Southern Halo and Liten Prinsessa.

Mitre Peak was strapped by Hollie Smith and is raced by the Fortuna Mitre Peak Syndicate, an Ownership Group consisting of 53 individuals, mostly from NZ but with one syndicate Member from Australia