Pencarrow Racing’s winning streak continued on Saturday with Amaryllis securing deserved black-type success when she romped home in the $100,000 Group 3 Darley Plate (1200m).

Well-backed coming into one of the features of New Zealand Derby Day, Amaryllis (Red Ransom x Lafleur) travelled just off the pace in the hands of jockey James McDonald before looming up in the straight. Asked to quicken at the 250 metre mark, the mare put a length on the field and held back the late charges from the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap winner Vonusti, and the Group 2 winner Joey Massino to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths.

Giving Pencarrow Racing trainers Steven ‘Rambo’ Ramsay & Julia Ritchie their second stakes success for the season, they were thrilled with the mare’s effort.

“We were a bit concerned with the track as she has never run on anything that heavy before but it didn’t seem to worry her which was great,” said Rambo.

“She has actually had a six week break from the races and has come back looking really well. We expected her to race well on Saturday but she will have a lot of improvement in her as well.

“James (McDonald) was very keen to ride her on Saturday and he normally doesn’t ride at 53kgs but he worked hard to get himself down to that weight. We were really grateful to him for making the effort and thrilled it paid off for him.

“We are now looking at our options with the mare. When she gets into form she usually holds it so the Sydney Autumn Carnival is a likely option, maybe the Group 3 Birthday Stakes over 1200 metres at Randwick on 26 March.”

A descendant of the mighty Eight Carat family, Amaryllis is from the Zabeel mare Lafleur who was herself very handy on the track, winning the Group 2 Royal Stakes and Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic as a three-year-old. Amaryllis’ grand-dam is the three-time Group 1 winner and Champion 1983 European Three-Year-Old Habibti (Habitat).

Amaryllis has now taken her winning tally to eight from 25 starts with stakes earnings in excess of $140,000.