An unsuitable rain-affected track was no obstacle for quality Pencarrow mare Supera (NZ) (Savabeel) in Saturday’s inaugural running of the $40,000 Lisa Chittick Plate (1400m) at Matamata.

A Group 2 winner and Group 1 placegetter, Supera was the clear headline act in a quality six-horse field of fillies and mares and was sent out as the hot favourite.

But she has an overwhelming preference for drier track conditions, and she appeared to be labouring in a distant fourth approaching the home turn – more than six lengths adrift of the front-running Rocket Fuel (Smart Missile).

Despite struggling in the conditions, Supera responded to the urgings of Jason Waddell in the straight and started to surge forward, driving past Rocket Fuel and scoring by a long head from Pop Star Princess(NZ) (Makfi).

Trained by Ken and Bev Kelso for owner-breeder Sir Peter Vela, Supera has now had 17 starts for eight wins, four placings and $287,425 in stakes.

Supera is out of Sopra Tutto (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy), who is the dam of five winners from six foals to race. Outside of Supera, the best of those has been Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi), who won two Group 3 races and placed in the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m).

The second dam is the champion mare Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm) who earned more than $4.7 million with Group 1 victories in the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, BMW and Queensland Oaks.

Her dam, the top-class Romanee Conti (NZ) (Sir Tristram), is a three-quarter sister to the Group 1 winner and star broodmare Grand Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel), along with Dolmabache’s dam Our Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel).