Bivouac Filly Tops Karaka Millions 2YO Order

Emerging from the shadows of her more fancied rivals, Intention, by Darley’s multiple Group 1-winning 1st season sire Bivouac (see below), delivered a stunning upset in last weekend's Gr2 Happy Hire Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham, according to NZ Racing Desk. The $175,000 race marked just the second start for the Awapuni filly, who had a troubled debut at Otaki late last month. Sent out as a $17 outsider, the blue and white silks of Tineke Balcombe’s In To Win Syndication defied expectations, as Intention’s unhurried start and sharp finish under jockey Tina Comignaghi left her competitors scrambling. Landlock looked to have secured victory after taking the lead at the top of the home straight, but Intention’s explosive burst through a gap off the rail saw her clinch a half-length win, with Landlock three-quarters of a length ahead of the third-placed favourite Marokopa Falls. Trainer Mike Breslin’s confidence in the filly was well-placed. “I’ve always thought a lot of her, and I decided to line her up on debut without a trial,” he said. Despite a difficult start to her career, Breslin noted her significant improvement and stellar trackwork. “I wouldn’t have run her in a race like this if I thought she was out of her grade. It’s great for Tineke and her syndication business—we didn’t buy her for very much, and she’s proving to be a real standout.” Intention’s victory slashed her odds for the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie in January from $41 to $14, and Breslin hinted at keeping this option open after a brief paddock break. Bred by Llanhennock Trust and bought for $65,000, Intention hails from the first crop of Bivouac and an unraced Snitzel mare. Her earnings of $102,625 from two starts now top the Karaka Millions order of entry. Comignaghi praised the filly’s maturity and potential, calling her “a real professional” with an exciting future ahead.