The regally bred Pencarrow filly Pure Elegance (NZ) lived up to the lofty expectations she created at her only two-year-old start, with a determined win in the $70,000 Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.

The first event in New Zealand Bloodstock’s 10-race Filly of the Year Series, Pure Elegance (Redoute’s Choice x Our Echezeaux) has taken first blood for trainers Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie beating an exceptional field of fillies to earn 6 points and the early Series lead.

In a highly anticipated battle between some of New Zealand’s most promising three-year-old fillies, it came down to a two-horse war between Pure Elegance and Champion 2YO nominee Rollout the Carpet. Coming from right on the speed, the pair were stride for stride for much of the straight before Pure Elegance out-muscled her rival to win by a short neck.

“She is very smart,” said Steven Ramsay. “That was an exceptional field of fillies and to do what she did, running down Rollout the Carpet who is a top filly, at just her second start is very exciting.

“She will take a tonne of improvement from the run and we will aim her at the Listed James & Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes before taking her to the NZB 1000 Guineas.

“Everyone that has ridden her has been saying she will be even better when she gets a longer trip. What she did on Saturday over 1200 metres was just on class, she will be a lovely miler and her breeding suggests that the Oaks could be a possibility as well.”

The Group 3 has seen the blue-blooded filly remain unbeaten from her two starts and become the 91st stakes winner for her champion sire Redoute’s Choice. She is also the 98th stakes winner for her damsire Zabeel, and the7th stakes winner for the potent Redoute’s Choice/Zabeel cross which has a stakes winners to runners ratio of 13%.

Pure Elegance’s breeders Peter and Philip Vela have won the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series four times before with Insouciant (2008), Vapour Trail (2002), Sarwatch (2000) and Noble Heights (1982).

Pure Elegance is the latest winner from one of Pencarrow Stud’s hottest foundation families. Her dam Our Echezeaux is a sister to Group 1 winner Grand Echezeaux, the dam of the five-time Group 1 winner and sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) and dual stakes winner Burgundy (Redoute’s Choice).

Pure Elegance is a sister to Dolmabache who has won twice. Her dam Our Echezeaux foaled a colt by High Chaparral last season.