Pencarrow Stud and Pencarrow Racing are enjoying a hot run of form with two Group winners over the weekend, and that success continued today with Navy Beach claiming her first victory in a $7,000 Maiden (1600m) today at Ruakaka.

Having just her fourth start, Navy Beach (Darci Brahma x Beyond the Sunset) raced towards the back of the field for jockey Leith Innes before being brought forward three wide around the turn and into the straight.

In a determined effort from the Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie trained filly, she covered a lot of ground yet managed to wear down her rival Watson (Pentire) after a long battle in the straight to win by a head.

A well-bred filly, Navy Beach is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Te Akau Coup (Thorn Park) and a three-quarter sister to the $1.05 million colt and stakes winning two-year-old Don Garcia (Danehill).

Navy Beach’s half-sister by O’Reilly was purchased by Michael Wallace Bloodstock/Freedman Bros from Pencarrow Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2012 Karaka Premier Sale for $150,000.

From the Gone West mare, Beyond the Sunset, Navy Beach was named after the acclaimed sunsets that can be viewed from the Navy Beach restaurant in Montauk, New York. Beyond the Sunset, was covered by Fastnet Rock last season.

Bred by Peter and Philip Vela, Navy Beach is the 19th individual three-year-old winner in New Zealand for her sire Darci Brahma who heads the sires’ table for NZ 3YO winners, three clear of O’Reilly on 16. Also bred by Peter and Philip Vela, Darci Brahma sired his first Group 1 winner this season with Artistic winning the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks.

Miuccia Belle (Pins x Christiania Belle) capped off a good day for Pencarrow and trainers Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie running third in a $7,000 maiden (1400m) after being forced to race three wide for the trip. It was a tough performance from the filly at just her third race appearance and she has now placed in two of her three starts.