A pair of classy three-year-olds from last season made a bold return to racing at Ellerslie on Saturday, with Cambridge Stud homebred Luberon digging deep to just pip Pericles in the Sistema (1200m).
Luberon has been a first-crop flagbearer for Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish, starting with a black-type placing in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) as a spring two-year-old. She added two wins as a three-year-old last season, along with a placing in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) and a brave fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).
Her up-and-down season also saw her throw away a likely victory in the Gr.3 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe when she veered across the track in the home straight and collided with the outside running rail, and in her final three-year-old appearance, she finished at the tail of the field when strongly supported in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m) in January and was found to have a heart murmur. Trainer Lance Noble gave Luberon a long spell and then trialled her three times leading into Saturday's four-year-old debut, recording a win and two second placings.
Among her opposition at Ellerslie was the Pam Gerard-trained Pericles. The Rubick gelding was a three-time winner last season including the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m) in February, which was run over the same course and distance as Saturday's Rating 75 sprint.
The race presented stern first-up challenges for Luberon and Pericles, carrying 58.5kg and 59kg respectively and taking on the likes of proven black-type performer Merchant Queen and unbeaten up-and-comer Twain. But the quality the two topweights showed as three-year-olds last season brought them to the fore.
Luberon and Pericles both settled in midfield as Merchant Queen set the pace through the early stages. Twain charged forward mid-race and passed Merchant Queen with 600m remaining, pinching a break on the field and rounding the home turn with a clear lead.
Luberon and Pericles came to the middle of the track and began to move through their gears, clawing their way past a gallant Twain and setting down to fight a two-horse war to the finish.
There was nothing between them through the final 50m and they hit the finish line as one, but the photo finish found a fraction of a nose in Luberon's favour.
"That was a very good first-up performance," Noble said. "She's always shown a lot of ability, and we thought she had come back in good order this time in. But it wasn't easy for her today with 58 kilos on her back and racing three wide most of the way around Ellerslie. If she'd stuck on into third, you would have been more than happy with that as a resuming run.
"For her to show the ticker that she did, find the line so strongly and get the win, it was a very pleasing way to start her season."
Luberon has now had nine starts for four wins, two placings and $139,375 in stakes, and there could be bigger and better things to come.
"We don't really have any specific targets in mind," Noble said. "This will probably lift her rating a little bit. I think we'll look to keep her fresh and stick to sprinting, so depending on how she's going and where her rating ends up, we'll try to find some suitable races over those sorts of trips. Something like the Counties Bowl (Gr.3, 1100m) in November could be a nice chance to try for some black type."
