Academy Award shone on the Te Rapa stage on Saturday with an aggressive ride from Sam Spratt earning the mare top honours.
The Star Turn four-year-old’s success in Rating 65 company over 1300 metres was well-deserved as the Stephen Marsh-trained mare has been in fine touch this preparation.
The Gerry Harvey-bred representative had collected a brace of runner-up finishes from her previous three appearances and went one better in style.
She broke quickly from the gates to take up the running and, after forging clear on straightening, held a strong gallop to the wire to win by three lengths from fellow Westbury Stud graduate Moeraki.
Academy Award has now won twice and posted 12 top four finishes, including a second in last season’s G2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial.
She was purchased out of Westbury’s class of 2021 at Karaka by Marsh and Dennis Foster for $180,000 and is a daughter of the Dubleo mare Dubleanny, who has an unraced two-year-old colt by Swiss Ace.
From the family of November Rain, who completed the Group 1 treble of the VRC, Australian and Queensland Oaks, Dubleanny was a well-performed sprinter who won three times at Listed level in Australia and five of her six foals to race have been successful.