Promising Pencarrow Racing mare Silver Eclipse (Darci Brahma x Zino Belle) made an emphatic return to racing with victory in the $8,000 Taupo Farmlands Rating 75 1000m at Taupo yesterday.

Entering the race as a winner of three of her seven starts last season, Silver Eclipse showed top-class potential last season when beating the highly-touted Cauthen (Darci Brahma) at Trentham in a time of 1.08.70 over 1200m for trainers Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie.

The speed was strong in yesterday’s 1000m dash and Silver Eclipse was positioned just off the pace by leading rider Michael Coleman. The four-year-old Darci Brahma filly was in a challenging position at the top of the straight and over-hauled her rivals in the last 100m to win by a long neck for the blue and white silks of Sir Peter Vela. Her winning time of 57.66 broke the track record of 58.05 set by El Roca back in 2013.

Also carrying the Pencarrow colours in the race was the Jason Bridgman trained Equanimity (Keeper x Insouciant) who produced an eye-catching effort as she ran on strongly in the straight to finish a close-up fifth.

Today’s win was Silver Eclipse’s fourth victory, taking her strike rate to 50% from her eight career starts.

Bred by Sir Peter Vela & Philip Vela, Silver Eclipse is out of Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes winner Zino Belle (Success Express). Her second dam is Group 2 winner Christiania Belle (Sackford) and her third dam is another Group 2 winner in Finezza Belle (Sir Tristram). This family has also produced Group winners Winning Belle (Zabeel), Plucky Belle (Mossman) & Our Ella Belle (Encosta de Lago).

Zino Belle has produced four other winners, including current five-time victor in Singapore Danny (by Elvstroem). She was served last season by Darci Brahma with the resulting foal to be a full-sibling to Silver Eclipse.