Pencarrow principal Sir Peter Vela was in the winner’s circle as both a breeder and a part-owner on Wednesday when the promising Waikato Girl (NZ) (Savabeel) took out the A$100,000 Precise Air Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill.

The three-year-old filly had finished third on debut over 1300 metres at Kembla Grange on October 28, and the step up to 1400 metres on Wednesday brought the very best out of the up-and-comer.

Ridden by Jason Collett for trainer Michael Freedman, Waikato Girl settled at the back of the six-horse field before launching an irresistible finish down the outside of the home straight to win with ease by a length and three-quarters.

With a win and a placing from her two starts, Waikato Girl has quickly banked A$51,900 for the ownership pairing of Sir Peter Vela and Gandharvi.

“She’s been super,” Freedman’s stable representative Sophie Johnson said. “She’s come on in leaps and bounds over her preparation. That debut run at Kembla, she got stuck out the back there, and the second that she got a bit of clear air, she stretched out and was very good.

“We’ll take it slowly with her for now, but I think Michael has always been of the opinion that she’s a filly who’s going to get out over a trip in time.”

Waikato Girl was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and was offered in the Pencarrow draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2022, where bloodstock agent Mick Wallace secured her for $600,000.

One of 916 winners from 1255 runners for the mighty Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel, Waikato Girl is out of the Group One-performed Galileo mare Scintillula.

A two-time winner including the Group Three Meld Stakes (1800m), Scintillula also ran second in the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes (1400m), fourth in the Group One Irish Oaks (2400m) and fourth in the Group One Yorkshire Oaks (2400m).

Following Waikato Girl’s success on Wednesday, Scintillula is the dam of four winners from four foals to race. Butter Chicken (NZ) (Savabeel) was Group Two-placed in the Autumn Classic (1800m), while Birdsong (NZ) (Snitzel) won six races and Te Akau Racing’s Stella Splendida (NZ) (Zoustar) has so far been a two-time winner.

Since Waikato Girl was foaled in the spring of 2020, Scintillula has produced a Savabeel colt named Tempestry (NZ), along with a Savabeel yearling filly. She returned to Savabeel again the following season.