New Zealand's champion two-year-old Lara Antipova has announced her return to form in emphatic style, bouncing back from a disappointing Australian debut to win a listed race at Flemington on Saturday. The victory is a timely reminder of the quality coming out of the New Zealand racing industry, and a personal triumph for a team that never lost faith in the filly's ability.
How did Lara Antipova turn her form around so quickly?
Trainer Mark Walker was confident of significant improvement after a recent track gallop at Mornington, where the signs were clear that the filly had turned a corner. The key issue, he explained, was simply that she wasn't at her physical peak in her first Australian run.
“The main thing was, she just wasn't quite there in the coat and she'd come a long way,” Walker said. “Ben [Gleeson, assistant trainer] and I took her to Mornington for a track gallop and we just knew when she galloped that day that she was somewhere near back to it.”
That confidence was well placed. Under a patient ride from jockey Mark Zahra, Lara Antipova settled beautifully, found the gap at the right time, and powered away to win. Zahra, who saw a different filly in the yard before the race, was quietly optimistic from the start.
“When you're seeing synthetic hoof filler off and the way she looked in the yard compared to last time, you're always confident she was going to run an improved race and she ended up winning,” Zahra said.
What does this win mean for New Zealand racing?
For Walker, the win carries significance beyond the prize money. It's proof that New Zealand's best can compete with the strongest company across the Tasman, and a boost for an industry that often punches above its weight on the international stage.
“It's great today for the New Zealand industry that our form stacks up. She is a Group 1 winner at home and I know this is a listed race, but it was a quality field today, so it's just really good when our form stacks up,” Walker said.
Lara Antipova was crowned New Zealand's champion two-year-old after an unbeaten juvenile campaign of four starts, headlined by her dominant victory in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. That record made her one of the most exciting prospects to cross the Tasman this spring, and Saturday's performance suggests the hype was justified.
What's next for Lara Antipova this spring?
The immediate options are the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington or the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield. Both are set-weights races, which Walker believes will suit his filly perfectly after she has been carrying a Group 1 penalty.
“From here on in it will either be the Edward Manifold or the Bill Stutt Stakes and those are set weights,” Walker said. “She's done the hard yards carrying the Group 1 penalty and now she goes back to level weights, so that should be suitable.”
Zahra, too, sees bigger targets on the horizon, suggesting a Thousand Guineas campaign is a realistic path for a filly with this much scope.
“I had the run of the race and she went well, but she's only got to race against her own grade this spring, she's done what she can, so I dare say she'll probably go on a Thousand Guineas path or something like that,” he said.
Why was this win so special for the team?
The victory carried deep personal meaning for both Walker and Zahra, with the race honouring the late Mike Moroney, a revered figure in training ranks on both sides of the Tasman. Walker, who spent his early career alongside Moroney at Matamata, remembered him with warmth and affection.
“I spent many a year with Mike at Matamata in the early days before he came over to Adelaide and then Melbourne and he was just an absolute gentleman,” Walker said. “He was always full of good stories; we had a lot of banter at the Matamata track over the years.”
Zahra, who rode many winners for Moroney, echoed those sentiments, calling the win an absolute privilege.
“It's very special. He was a good friend of mine, I rode a lot of winners for him, just an all-round great bloke and no one had anything bad to say about him, so an absolute privilege,” Zahra said. “I'll have a glass of red for Mike tonight.”
Who is Lara Antipova and where did she come from?
Bred by Eden and Jenni Harrington, Lara Antipova is a daughter of Russian Revolution out of Artistic Lass. She was purchased for A$100,000 from Vinery Stud's Magic Millions draft by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis in partnership with Fortuna Racing, a bargain price for a filly who has already delivered at the highest level.
With her Group 1 penalty now behind her and a spring campaign full of promise ahead, Lara Antipova has firmly re-established herself as one of the most exciting fillies in Australasian racing. For New Zealand, her success is a proud reminder that world-class talent can come from anywhere, and that this country's racing industry continues to produce champions.