Well-bred Pencarrow filly Aloft (NZ) (Atlante) continued a perfect start to her career in Friday’s $10,000 Epsom & Ascot With Wheels & George (1400m) at New Plymouth.

The Rating 65 race was her second start and second win, having won a 1250-metre maiden race at Rotorua on debut on November 27.

Craig Grylls took the mount on Friday for trainers Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie, and Aloft dropped out towards the back of the field in the early stages of the race. She had only one horse behind her at the top of the home straight, but showed an impressive turn of foot in the last 200 metres and raced to victory by half a length.

With two wins from two starts, Aloft has earned $12,500 in prize-money. Her debut victory at Rotorua also carried a Pearl Series Level B Bonus of $11,500.

Aloft is nominated for the Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 14.

Aloft was bred by Pencarrow and is raced by Sir Peter Vela.

She is by the New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Atlante, who sadly died at a young age but is making his mark with his first crop including Listed winner Riva Capri (NZ), Group 2-placed Callsign Mav(NZ) and the impressive recent winner Star of Bombay (NZ).

Aloft’s dam is Sopra Tutto (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy), who is the dam of five winners from six foals to race.

Her older progeny include the rising star weight-for-age performer Supera (NZ) (Savabeel), who has won the Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and Group 2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) and placed in the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m); and the multiple Group 3 winner Eleonora(NZ) (Makfi), who also placed in the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m).

Sopra Tutto’s 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 black-type producer Our Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel).