The highly consistent mare Vandenne gave her rivals a galloping lesson at Matamata yesterday in a $8,000 Rating 75 (2000m) with jockey Jason Waddell in the saddle.

With the track rated heavy, Vandenne (Van Nistelrooy x Loudenne) went straight to the front from her wide barrier and led the field throughout. Keeping off the rail, Waddell asked the mare to quicken at the 600 metre mark and she extended her lead coming into the straight and cruised away to win by an easy two-and-a-quarter-lengths easing down.

Trained by Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie, the four-year-old has proven a consistent performer with her 14 starts bringing three wins and seven placings. Yesterday’s victory was her first on heavy footing with the mare also claiming race victories on slow and dead surfaces.

Bred by Peter and Philip Vela, Vandenne is a half-sister to the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner and New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Insouciant (Keeper), Group 3 winner Copper Mountain (Jetball) and stakes placed Chateauneuf Dupape (Darci Brahma) who races in Singapore for Pencarrow Racing.

Chateauneuf Dupape was the last of nine foals from the outstanding broodmare Loudenne (Palace Music) who died in 2009.