Jockey James McDonald and the favourite Viva Roma produced a fine performance to win the Happy Birthday Suzi 1230 from the wide barrier of 11 at Rotorua on Friday.

Jumping well but doing plenty of work early, Viva Roma (Spartacus x Verganti) settled just off the pace and joined the leaders on the point of the turn, before racing away in the straight for a good two-and-a-quarter length win over Ab O'Reilly and Mr Kanton.

Only lightly tried, the three-year-old daughter of Spartacus has been racing in some strong company, running into the likes of seasoned campaigners Magic Briar and Shez Sinsational. With Friday’s race bringing up her second win from only six starts, with two additional placings, she is improving with every start and looks to be a filly with a bright future.

From a Strategic mare, Viva Roma is from the same family as the Group 1 winning sprinter Miss Raggedy Ann and the Group 1 1000 Guineas winner Buzz Lightyear. She now boasts a domestic rating of 74.