Pencarrow Racing’s Ebullient (Stravinsky) returned from a spell in fine fashion to record victory in the $25,000 Derby Dream Habibi Open 1200m at Ruakaka on Saturday.

Trained by resident Pencarrow Stud trainers Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie, Ebullient overpowered his rivals in the closing stages of the race to record victory by a head.

A son of Group 1 July Cup winner Stravinsky, Ebullient is out of Melbourne and Caulfield Cup heroine Ethereal (Rhythm), who carried the same Pencarrow colours to victory in her four Group 1 victories.

Ridden by Samantha Collet, seven-year-old Ebullient settled behind midfield in the running and was pulled out wide in the straight to lay his claim. He was able to surge strongly to the line to beat a respectable field of sprinters.

“He goes good fresh, he has won all of his races, bar one, when fresh,” commented Ramsay.

“We are going to give him a break now and take him to Riccarton for the Pegasus to try gain some black type in November so he will have two weeks in the paddock now. He ran in it last year and ran fifth but he was off the track all the way so it looks a nice race again for him this year.”

Lightly raced he is a winner of four races in his 13-start career, earning just over $50,000.

Bred by Peter & Philip Vela, the gelding’s second dam, Romanee Conti (Sir Tristram), was a world-class racehorse who won the 1993 Hong Kong International Cup. This is the family of foundation Pencarrow Stud mare Richebourg (Vice Regal) that has produced an abundance of black-type winners including Group 1 winners Grand Echezeaux (Zabeel) and Darci Brahma (Danehill) along with numerous other stakes winners.

Ethereal has left three winners including the stakes placed Uberalles (Giant’s Causeway) and was served last season by New Zealand’s champion sire O’Reilly.