The Pencarrow Stud bred and raced Papilio is back to winning form after putting in a solid performance at Waipukurau on Sunday in the Central FM Mile (1600m) with James McDonald aboard.

Settling fifth in the running, McDonald bided his time on Papilio (Redoute’s Choice x Lafleur) and at the point of the turn balanced her up and went out after the leaders. Immediately showing a good turn-of-foot, the four-year-old shot away and hit the front, and with a little encouragement from McDonald, she extended nicely in the final stages to win by two-lengths.

Trained by Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie, the win was her second from eight starts which have also netted three placings. Papilio broke her maiden four starts back in impressive fashion in a 1200 metre maiden at Taupo but didn’t have the best of luck in her next three races, being caught three wide or too far back in transit.

A well bred mare, Papilio is a half-sister to the Group 3 Darley Plate winner Amaryllis (Red Ransom) and is from the dual Group 2 winning Zabeel mare Lafleur, a descendant of the mighty Eight Carat family.

Bred on the successful Redoute’s Choice/Zabeel cross, it has produced four stakes winners including Samantha Miss and the Pencarrow bred Burgundy, and has a winners to runners ratio of 70%.