Returning to winning form is Pencarrow Racing’s Rasa Lila (Darci Brahma x Dance My Dance) with a flying finish in the $20,000 Tui, Backing A Winner Since 1889 (1600m) at Otaki on Saturday.

Winning fresh up, her fourth win from 17 starts, Rasa Lila will be looking to continue her success following a stellar run last season with two victories among her nine starts as a four-year-old with further placings on five occasions for trainers Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie.

Rasa Lila made her racing debut as a three-year-old from Australia’s David Hayes’ stable where she placed in her first four starts followed by a win before relocating to her homeland.

Starting from barrier 10, jockey Darryl Bradley settled Rasa Lila behind midfield in the early stages, travelling one off the fence. Improving as they passed the 700 metres Rasa Lila raced three deep at the top of the straight before hitting the front and dashing away for a three-and-a-half-length victory over race-favourite Miss Selby (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Ekraarstatic (NZ) (Ekraar) finishing in second and third places respectively.

Bred by Sir Peter Vela and Philip Vela, the daughter of Darci Brahma is out of an unraced Sadler’s Wells mare, Dance My Dance, and is a half-sister to stakes-winner Posavina (Tiger Hill), winner of the Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Lowland Stakes. Second dam, Tis Juliet (Alydar), won the Group 1 Belmont Shuvee Handicap in the USA.

Dance My Dance foaled a colt in 2014 by leading Australian sire Snitzel.