Te Akau Racing and Fortuna Racing have a remarkable association with two-year-old fillies and they unveiled another exciting prospect at Trentham on Saturday in the form of Hellbent filly Marokopa Falls.

She was not fully tested in her sole trial appearance at Taupo on November 26, and in a compact four-horse juvenile field on debut and was anticipated to test the race-winner Too Sweet, who started favourite.

Marokopa Falls stalked the pace and forged clear to win the 1000m dash by half a length.

“She was well prepared for today,” said winning rider Craig Grylls.

“She hopped away nice to sit outside the leader, was little bit green coming across the junction, as they quite often can be, but once balanced she let down really nicely.

“She was very professional, a nice mover, and for her first go after only one trial it was pretty impressive.”

Mark Walker, who prepares the Te Akau contingent alongside Sam Bergerson, indicated Marokopa Falls would return to Trentham at short notice, with the G2 Happy Hire Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) her next assignment on Saturday, 21 December.

“She has a lot of natural ability and will take further improvement from the trip away and the win,” Walker said.

“Her next start will be in the G2 Wakefield Stakes and it would be great to get some black type at just her second start.”

The stable won last year’s edition of the Wakefield with subsequent G1-winning filly Captured By Love, who like Marokopa Falls, was purchased in Australia.

Marokopa Falls secured by David Ellis and Fortuna Racing’s John Galvin from the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale from the Lincoln Farm draft for $57,500, the exact figure the pair outlaid to buy their 14-time G1 winner Melody Belle.

In the early stages of her illustrious career, Melody Belle won the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), a race Marokopa Falls is ineligible for as an Australian-bought filly.

Galvin was on course to witness the victory, alongside several members of the Fortuna Marokopa Falls Syndicate.

“It was a lovely win from a lovely filly that the team obviously have a lot of time for,” Galvin said.

“It’s not usual for us to send a two-year-old to the races off the back of one trial, so going there today gave us an indication of what the trainers think of her. She was very professional and relaxed in the birdcage and she showed those same attributes during the race.

“She was bought for the same price as Melody Belle, so if she could be half as good as her then we’d have to be very happy, wouldn’t we?

Marokopa Falls joins Tremonti as pre-Christmas two-year-old winners and with just three runners from this juvenile crop so far it’s looking a handy one with Marokopa Falls (2f) vying for a G2 win, Tremonti (2c) already a stakes winner at Flemington for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, with Buckled (2g) for Simon Miller third at Ascot last Saturday too.