A welcome gap in the wet weather meant a big turnout at the Paeroa trials yesterday, where Pencarrow Stud bred horses scored seven individual trial wins.

Pencarrow Racing’s resident trainers Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie took 11 horses to the trials, with a batch of results that suggest there is an exciting spring ahead for the stable.

One of four individual stakes winners for Pencarrow Racing last season, Dolmabache (Redoute’s Choice x Our Echezeaux) won the Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) in a brilliant performance, coming from the back of the field to beat some talented mares.

She is making good progress towards her spring return and won her first trial of the new season yesterday in the hands of her co-trainer Julia Ritchie.

“She jumped well and settled mid-field before running home nicely to win by a head,” said Julia Ritchie. “She is coming up really well and has developed into a beautiful mare.”

A full-sister to Dolmabache, three-year-old Pure Elegance, is a hugely exciting filly and showed she has loads of potential with a 5.5 length win at her only two-year-old appearance. She is being aimed at the opening races of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series and showed that she is well on track with an excellent trial win under jockey Opie Bosson.

“She ran nearly two seconds faster than any other 1000 metre heat of the day and pulled up well,” commented Julia Ritchie.

“It was her first time running right-handed and she handled it very well. Her coat is just starting to turn and she has plenty of improvement in her so we are on target for the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) on 22 September.”

The unnamed Darci Brahma filly from the Zabeel mare Mareva produced a tidy performance to win her first trial in a 700 metre maiden 3YO event under jockey Samantha Collett.

“She settled back and weaved through the field to win nicely,” said Ritchie. “This was her first trial and she acquitted herself very well.”

Four-year-old mare Chevremont (No Excuse Needed x Figeac) won a trial in April before contesting her first race at Ruakaka where she had no luck in running. She won her heat yesterday over 1000 metres under jockey Samantha Collett and will be heading back to the races in a few weeks.

Other members of the Pencarrow Racing team that trialled well were the un-named Encosta de Lago filly from the Melbourne Cup winning mare Ethereal. The blue-blooded filly had her third trial yesterday and ran a good second coming from the back of the field under jockey Samantha Collett.

The un-named three-year-old Red Ransom filly from the Zabeel mare Zygadene also finished second in her 1000 metre trial with Samantha Collet in the saddle.

“She settled back in the field and ran home strongly to be beaten by a head,” said Ritchie. “She has shown promise in all her trials and it was good to see her run home over the top of them.”

Trainer Jason Bridgman had two trial winners with Pencarrow sale graduates including Peerage (O’Reilly x Chimeara) who won his first trial appearance by a length. A half-brother to the Group 1 winner De Beers (Quest for Fame), Peerage was purchased by David Ellis from Pencarrow Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2011 Karaka Premier Sale for $480,000.

Bridgman was also successful with Unicorn Express (Lucky Unicorn x Felenic) who won his heat by a length-and-a-half. The three-year-old was a $100,000 purchase by David Ellis at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale.

Trainers Jeff McVean & Emma-Lee Browne were also successful with a Pencarrow bred horse with their un-named three-year-old filly by Perfectly Ready from Anakela Bay successful at her first trial appearance.