Brisbane, June 11 – Popular Warwick Farm based trainer Clarry Conners combined forces with champion jockey Darren Beadman to win the Group One QTC TJ Smith Stakes at Eagle Farm on Monday with talented filly Apercu, a $470,000 Easter purchase from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud.
Considered very unlucky when unplaced in the Group Two QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes at her previous start, Apercu enjoyed a trouble free run this time around coasting along in fourth place for much of the 1600 metre trip.
Asked for an effort at the top of the straight, the daughter of Encosta de Lago quickly moved into contention and took the lead with 100 metres to run before withstanding a late challenge from Tripitz to win by half a neck.
Apercu has now won two races and placed twice from seven starts, earning $408,350 for her owners Dr and Mrs Edmund Bateman.
“She is the real deal, but she is not very big,” said a clearly delighted Clarry Conners.
“We have done a good job with her and we will just wait and see about running longer distances. Let’s enjoy this first. She is a bonny little filly!”
Foaled and raised at Yarraman Park for her breeder Tim Hughes, Apercu is the third foal of stakes-placed Zabeel mare Making Fey (NZ), a half-sister to Group Two winning stayer Big Barron from the family of Group One winners Global News, Ivory’s Irish, Alynda, Penny Gem, Hit the Roof and Brawny Spirit.
Yarraman Park sold the current yearling filly by Exceed and Excel from Making Fey (NZ) for $125,000 at the 2007 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling to Star Thoroughbreds.
Making Fey (NZ) produced a Fastnet Rock colt last spring that is likely to head to Easter next year and is back in foal to him again, while she is likely to return to Apercu’s sire Encosta de Lago this spring.
The Mitchell family are also lucky enough to own the young Desert Prince (IRE) mare Daisy Fey, a half-sister to Apercu, who is in foal to the young Yarraman Park based sire Foreplay in his first season at stud.
Apercu is the eighth Group One winner sired by Encosta de Lago and she is one of 14 Australasian stakes-winners for him this season.