The Pencarrow racing team enjoyed a highly successful day at Te Rapa on Wednesday with two winners – Cote D’Or (NZ) (Makfi) and Floating Heart (NZ) (Encosta De Lago).

Well-bred four-year-old Cote D’Or got the day underway with a tenacious win in the $10,000 Hooves, Grooves & BBQ’s 1600 at Rating 75 level. Ridden by Danielle Johnson for trainers Ken and Bev Kelso, she dropped back early before looming on outside as the field turned for home. She outfinished her rivals down the Te Rapa straight, scoring by a short neck.

The win was Cote D’Or’s third from nine career starts. She has also recorded three placings and has earned just under $20,000 in stakes.

Bred and raced by Sir Peter Vela, Cote D’Or is out of the Zabeel mare Our Echezeaux (NZ) – the dam of four winners from four foals to race, including stakes winners Dolmabache (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and Pure Elegance (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice).

Our Echezeaux is a full-sister to Grand Echezeaux (NZ), a Group 1 winner and dam of the five-time Group 1 winner and sire Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill). Grand Echezeaux is also the dam of another four winners including the multiple stakes winner and sire Burgundy (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and the stakes-placed Saperavi (NZ) (Stravinsky) and Echezeaux (NZ) (Encosta De Lago).

Another of Our Echezeaux’s siblings is the Hong Kong International Cup winner Romanee Conti (NZ) (Sir Tristram), dam of seven winners including the great Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm).

Later in the day, Floating Heart scored impressively in the Greene Brothers 1400 for trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs and rider Danielle Johnson. The talented four-year-old missed the start but recorded to sit in midfield before sprinting down the outside to win by a head in a driving finish.

Floating Heart has now had seven starts for two wins, three placings and more than $15,000 in stakes.

Also bred and raced by Sir Peter Vela, Floating Heart is out of the Group 3-winning sprinter Amaryllis (NZ) (Red Ransom), a daughter of the multiple stakes winner Lafleur (NZ) (Zabeel). The fourth dam is Habibti (Habitat), who won nine races including three at Group 1 level.