Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman will look to add black type to Russian Satire's outstanding pedigree page after a last-to-first win at Ellerslie.
Russian Satire is raced by her breeder David Paykel and comes from an exceptional family. She is by Russian Revolution out of Paykel's More Than Ready mare Serious Satire, whose three wins included the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). Second dam Zarzuela was a three-time Group winner, placed in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), and is the dam of seven winners from seven foals to race including three black-type performers.
The third dam is the Group One winner Star Satire, whose daughter Satin Shoes won the Group 2 Silver Slipper (1200m), placed in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and became an outstanding dam and granddam in her own right.
Russian Satire has yet to scale those sorts of heights, but she recorded the third win of her 13-start career on Saturday with a performance that hinted at better things to come.
Patiently ridden by Craig Grylls, Russian Satire was well back in the field throughout the race and dropped out to a clear last at the 600m mark.
But Grylls began to move the four-year-old up through her gears after rounding the home turn, accelerating sharply along the rail before angling into a gap between Ethereal Star and Trigon Lad.
Russian Satire burst to the front inside the final 50m, winning by a length from Dimaggio and Urban Myth. Forsman's other runner Ethereal Star, who was involved in a torrid duel in front for a large part of the Rating 75 race, fought on bravely for fourth.
“I was probably hoping to be a spot or two handier, but she didn't begin that well and she was only travelling fairly up to the turn,” Grylls said. “But once she got some clear air in the straight, she really accelerated for a good win.”
Russian Satire's three wins and four placings from 13 starts have so far earned $71,160 in stakes for her owner-breeder.
“That was a good, strong win today,” Forsman said. “It was probably set up for her with a bit of mid-race pressure in front. I feel sorry for our other horse, but it worked out well for her.
“She's obviously well bred, so any bit of black type we can get in the next little while would be great. She can handle rain-affected ground, which is a help at this time of the year.
“I thought it was a good effort by Ethereal Star too. She tried really hard. She just got softened up in front, and she was a little bit vulnerable fitness-wise anyway. We'll see how she comes through this and work out where we go from here.”