Westbury Stud stalwart Swiss Ace made his presence felt at Wanganui where he sired a winning double.
His progressive daughter French Doll and exciting son St Giles claimed top honours in their respective Rating 65 contests in the River City on Sunday for breeder-owner Gerry Harvey.
The former was posed a question of distance and she answered positively to make her first appearance beyond 1400 metres a memorable and expected one for trainer Mike Breslin.
“She was really, really well and she went up 2.5kg but she had trained on nicely and I didn’t think 1600 metres would worry her,” he said.
The mare, who had won her previous start at Trentham, was given a sweet trip in fourth spot away from the fence by rider Joe Doyle.
When asked to lengthen stride in the straight, she responded in fine style to win by half a-length and take her record to three victories and four placings from 13 outings.
French Doll is out of the late Belong To Me mare Princesse De Paris who is a half-sister to the G1 Australian Oaks heroine Royal Descent.
Their dam is the Kaapstad mare Mulan Princess, who won the G2 Hill Stakes and is also the dam of The Warrior Woman’s whose son Solidify won the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes winner and has multiple Group placings.
Princesse De Paris has also produced an unraced three-year-old sister to French Doll and her last foal is two-year-old colt by Redwood.
The Cody Cole-prepared St Giles took his record to a brace of wins and three minors from five appearances after a hollow victory over 1200 metres.
He jumped well for rider Craig Grylls to sit on the leader’s quarters and proved superior in the run to the judge.
The three-year-old is a younger brother of stablemate Old Bill Bone, also a dual winner from a handful of appearances, with their dam the Postponed mare Simplicity.
In the last two seasons, she has produced colts by El Roca and is again in foal to the son of Fastnet Rock.