Spanish Whisper wins G2 Let's Elope Stakes

- from nzracingnews.com

Four-year-old mare Spanish Whisper has confirmed her liking for the Flemington 1400m course with another Group Two win in the Let’s Elope Stakes.

Spanish Whisper won the Gr.2 Kewney Stakes over the course and distance in the second start of her autumn preparation in March and added Saturday’s Let’s Elope in the second start of her spring campaign.

With Mark Zahra aboard, Spanish Whisper sat fourth before looming up strongly at the 300m to make her winning run.

Miss Siska held on for second first-up, a half-length behind the winner, while $3.60 favourite Fidelia charged home along the inside to finish a nose away third.

“She was placed beautifully by Mark Zahra in a good rhythm and she gave a good strong kick,” Spanish Whisper’s co-trainer Tom Dabernig said.

“She is definitely more mature this preparation and more settled and hopefully she will go on into the spring and have a good preparation.”

Dabernig said Spanish Whisper, who won two of her first four starts in New Zealand, including the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) for co-owners Darren Brady and Daniel and Elias Nakhle before they sold a controlling interest in her to clients of Lindsay Park, could head to the Blazer Stakes for mares over the same course and distance early next month.

The Gr.1 Toorak Handicap and Empire Rose Stakes are among the options later in spring.

“I thought it was a really solid performance today,” Dabernig said.

A daughter of Lope De Vega, Spanish Whisper is one of 14 stakes winners for her sire in Australasia and highlights once again, the tremendous success of the Shamardal, Lope De Vega sireline in Australasia from, very limited opportunity.  Haunui Farm stands Lope De Vega's only son at stud in Australasia, Champion 2YO and dual G1 Belardo.  He is currently serving his third book of mares in the Southern Hemisphere with his first yearlings set to hit the sale ring in January 2020.

Belardo stands at Haunui Farm in 2019 for a fee of $12,000 + GST.