Carrying the famous Pencarrow blue and white hoops, Cote D’Or (NZ) (Makfi) continued her rapid rise through the grades with another victory at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Facing open-class opposition for the first time in her career in the $40,000 J. Swap Te Aroha Cup (2200m), Cote D’Or wore down Matimba (NZ) (Perfectly Ready) in the last 200 metres of the race and scored by three-quarters of a length. She was ridden by Danielle Johnson for trainers Ken and Bev Kelso.

Saturday’s win was Cote D’Or’s fifth in her last seven starts. She has now had a total of 12 starts for five wins, four placings and more than $60,000 in prize-money.

Bred and raced by Sir Peter Vela, Cote D’Or is out of Our Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel), the dam of stakes winners Dolmabache (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and Pure Elegance (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice). She is also a three-quarter sister to Romanee Conti (NZ) (Sir Tristram), a multiple stakes winner and the dam of Caulfield and Melbourne Cup heroine Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm).

Cote D’Or comes from one of Pencarrow’s finest families, with Our Echezeaux being a sister to Grand Echezeaux (NZ) – a Group One winner herself, and the dam of Group One winner and top sire Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill), as well as the multiple stakes winner Burgundy (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and stakes-placed Saperavi (NZ) (Stravinsky).

Our Echezeaux is a three-quarter sister to Romanee Conti (NZ) (Sir Tristram) another high-class racemare who is the dam of champion mare Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm). Ethereal is the granddam of the recent Group 3 winner Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi).