Racing at Matamata last Friday saw the Pencarrow Stud colours carried to victory on two occasions with Sercial and Pomellato winning their respective races.

The running of the Noble and Lee 1600 metre race saw the Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie trained Sercial (Le Bec Fin x Solaia) notch up her maiden win. Sercial was taken to the box seat in the running by jockey James McDonald and tackled race leader Tinui at the point of the turn. Brave in the straight, she held off the late finishing Corks A Poppin to win by a nose at the post.

The maiden win was Sercial’s fourth race day appearance; she ran a good third to Yankee Wharf in her previous start at Taupo in early October. The daughter of Le Bec Fin seems to be improving with every race and looks to have a good season in front of her.

Sercial is from the unraced Anabaa mare Solaia, a daughter of the stakes winner Classic Victory (Bletchingly), the dam of the $1.5 million dual Group 1 winning gelding Almansour (At Talaq).

She is by the Pencarrow bred sire Le Bec Fin, by Tale of the Cat from top performing racemare Romanee Conti making him a half-brother to Pencarrow Stud’s champion racemare, Ethereal.

The second Pencarrow Stud winner came in the Sponsored by Tui 1600 which saw a brilliant performance from Pomellato (Zabeel x Diamond Habit). Last on the turn, the Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie trained mount hooked to the outside and, in the hands of James McDonald, made up six or seven lengths on breakaway race leader Kumari to win by a nose at the post.

The daughter of Zabeel is back to winning form after producing another big finish in her previous start when running second to Belle De Jeu. Pomellato’s win was her second from eight starts and took her domestic rating to 74.

Pomellato was purchased by Peter & Philip Vela from Cambridge Stud for $220,000 in the 2008 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale.

By Zabeel, Pomellato is a descendant of the mighty Eight Carat. Her dam Diamond Habit (Green Desert) is out of top two-year-old and three-year-old filly and multiple Group 1 winning mare Habibti (Habitat). Pomellato is also a half-sister to Desert Lily, the dam of dual Group 1 winner Morshdi (Slip Anchor), Group 2 winner Lafleur (Zabeel) and stakes placed Kundooz (Sabrehill).