Accidental Tourist and Tanner look a pair of three-year-olds worth following in the weeks ahead after the Westbury bred representatives of Telperion produced quality performances to win at the weekend.
The former added to his burgeoning record with a hollow victory at Rotorua on Saturday while Tanner opened her career in fine style at Matamata on Sunday.
Accidental Tourist collected the third success from 10 appearances when he effortlessly put paid to a competitive age group line-up over 1400 metres.
Trained by Mark Walker, the gelding made his customary slow beginning to settle last before rider Michael McNab urged him around runners 500 metres from home.
Placed in the Listed Wanganui Guineas last preparation, the gelding was widest on the track at the top of the straight and, under a minimum of urging, bolted clear to score by 4.8l.
“I thought he would be a good chance, he had run over a mile and coming back to 1400 metres that was always going to hold him in good stead,” Walker said.
“He’s a good wet-tracker and we’ll probably keep him going through the winter.
“He ran good time when winning on upgraded good footing at Awapuni, but really seems to have an advantage with more give in the ground.
“We’ve been schooling him over the big hurdles and he’s pretty good at that too.”
Accidental Tourist was secured out of Westbury’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $80,000 by Te Akau chief David Ellis and races in the colours of Windsor Park Stud.
He is a half-brother to the Listed Newmarket Handicap winner and multiple Group 3 placegetter Red Striker.
Their dam is the Encosta De Lago mare Megara and she has a yearling sister to Accident Tourist and last season produced a filly by El Roca before a return visit.
Megara is from the family of the former top sprinter Atomic Force, the dual Group 1 winner of the Oakleigh Plate and the Railway Handicap and also finished runner-up in the G1 Telegraph.
Tanner is trained by Kylie Grass for breeder-owner Harvey and had been a Rotorua trial winner before claiming top honours over 1200 metres at Matamata.
The filly improved from midfield to be third on the turn and answered every call of apprentice Triston Moodley in the run home to score a comfortable half length victory.
She is out of the Elusive Quality mare Turn On Sixpence, whose dam Fashions Afield was a dual Group 1 winner and also left the G2 Todman Stakes winner Kiss And Make Up.
Turn On Sixpence has a yearling colt by Tarzino, produced a Swiss Ace colt last season and is back in foal to Tarzino.
The Steven Cole-prepared Drop Of Something continued Telperion’s hot run when he also broke his maiden over 1400 metres at Matamata, coming off a wide run with a determined finish for rider Ryan Elliot.