Another Cambridge Win for Branciforti (NZ)
11 July 2024
Talented Pencarrow mare Branciforti (NZ) (Belardo) added to her strong record on the Cambridge synthetic track with another emphatic victory in Wednesday’s $27,000 D & A Diesel (1300m).
The four-year-old mare has now had a total of 13 starts for four wins, a second and $60,475 in stakes. Three of those wins have come from only seven appearances on the all-weather surface at Cambridge.
Wednesday’s Rating 75 sprint was the first appearance since May for the David Greene-trained Branciforti, who was ridden to victory by Sam Spratt.
Branciforti broke well from her inside gate and settled in a handy position in third along the rail through the early stages of the race. Spratt presented her mount on the outside of the front-running Impresa (NZ) (Sweet Orange) at the top of the straight, and Branciforti quickened well to take command and win by a length and a half.
Greene will consider giving Branciforti a shot at the brand-new $100,000 special conditions race over 1400 metres on Awapuni’s synthetic track on August 9. That race is one of three $100,000 synthetic features introduced to the calendar this year, where the order of entry is determined by horses’ performances on all-weather tracks through the winter.
Branciforti was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and is raced by Sir Peter Vela. She is by the in-form former Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Belardo out of Huluava (NZ) (Pins), who herself won three races and became an outstanding success in Pencarrow’s broodmare band.
All of Huluava’s nine foals to race have been winners, headed by William Wallace (NZ) (Darci Brahma), whose eight wins include the Listed Spring Classic (2000m) and Listed Timaru Cup (1600m).
Huluava is also the granddam of Pignan (NZ) (Staphanos), who added some Group One star power to the family with her win in last year’s Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni.
Branciforti is the final foal out of Huluava, whose pedigree page receives further boosts from her stakes-winning siblings Hasselhoof (NZ) (Tavistock) and Vercors (NZ) (Catbird).