Pencarrow Racing kicked off another Premier Race Meeting at Ellerslie with a winner when Adolay (Fast ‘n’ Famous x Ruppertsberg) defeated stablemate North of Sunset (Red Ransom x Zygadene) in the $30,000 Grace Removals Group 3 & 4YO Handicap on yesterday’s Auckland Cup card.

A Pencarrow owned horse won the first race on New Year’s Day, the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting and now the Auckland Cup Meeting, three of Auckland Racing Club’s biggest meetings of the season.

Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie trained both runners in yesterday’s race with Adolay the better supported of the two with the TAB. The daughter of Fast ‘n’ Famous was stepping up to 2100m for the first time this preparation and entered the race having finished a sound fourth at Te Rapa last month.

The four-year-old mare jumped well to lead early in the race for rider Michael Coleman before taking a trail heading into the first corner. The tempo of the race was slow and North of Sunset worked her way to the lead down the back straight for Samantha Collet to inject some speed into the race.

North of Sunset had a strong kick in the straight but Adolay produced a determined finish to race past her stablemate to land victory by 1.3 lengths with North of Sunset holding off Proud Life (Proud Citizen) by a further half-a-length.

“It was a pretty good effort after not racing for five-and-a-half weeks,” said Ramsay. “It was also her first time over 2100m this time around which makes it an even better effort.

“They weren’t going hard but when Sam (Collet) went around the field on North of Sunset she was able to relax. Michael Coleman said she was able to show a really good turn of foot at the end of her race.

“She is out of a Montjeu mare so she should get a trip. It would be nice to get some more black-type with her so we will aim her towards the Group 3 Manawatu Breeders Stakes on 11 April with a run in between.”

Yesterday was the third victory in Adolay’s career having won her first two starts as three-year-old last season. She has earned $47,625 in prizemoney for her owners Sir Peter Vela and r Singapore-based trainer Laurie Laxon.

Bred by her owners and Philip Vela, Adolay is out of Montjeu mare Ruppertsberg, a daughter of Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Clear Rose (Deputy Governor). Clear Rose is also the dam of stakes performer Bettws (Zabeel) and granddam of current Australian stakes performer Bass Strait (Holy Roman Emperor).