Hawkesbury's multiple Group 1-winning trainer Garry Frazer celebrated a special arrival with a new season breakthrough at Gosford on Tuesday.
Frazer’s latest Group 1 winner Spright last week gave birth to her first foal, a colt by former brilliant sprinter Zoustar.
And whilst Calbuco has a long mountain to climb to reach Spright’s heights, her performance yesterday to win the Maiden Plate (1600m) understandably meant a lot to her trainer.
Carrying the same famous White family colours as Spright, Calbuco ($2.70 favourite) did a splendid job to give her rivals a start and a beating to post her first win at only her sixth start.
With Jay Ford aboard, the four-year-old daughter of Sebring circled the field and beat the strong-finishing Olympic Gaze ($3.50) and $18 chance I Am Flying.
It was a deserved breakthrough as she had been placed at her previous two starts at home over 1300m on July 12 and 1500m on July 30.
Frazer trained Calbuco’s dam, the Falbrav mare Doagain, whose sole victory from 18 starts was a 2000m Maiden Plate on her home track in May 2012. But she was also placed once at 1600m and twice at 2100m.
Calbuco is Doagain’s second foal, and Frazer is confident the best is yet to come from her.
“The White family is terrific to train for, and have allowed me to be patient with this mare,” Frazer said.
“She is only small, but I thought it was a pretty good effort with 57kg at her first try at 1600m to come from so far back at the 600m on a heavy track.
“Calbuco will definitely be better next time in work, and also better when she gets on top of the ground even though she got through the heavy at Gosford.
“I’ll see how she comes through this race before deciding whether to continue on or give her a break.”