There has been a changing of the guard in Pencarrow’s racing team this autumn, with Group One performer Pearl Of Alsace (NZ) (Tavistock) retiring to stud while exciting new talent Tomodachi (NZ) (Tarzino) announced her arrival on the big stage.

Tomodachi claimed the first black-type win of her career with a brilliant performance in Saturday’s $100,000 Group Three Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park. The super-talented Pencarrow homebred has now had nine starts for six wins, two placings and $179,016 in stakes.

Trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, Tomodachi showed bright promise as an autumn three-year-old last season with three consecutive wins at Taupo, Matamata and Te Rapa. She then travelled to Queensland and lined up over 2180 metres at Ipswich last May, finishing seventh.

O’Sullivan and Scott concentrated on shorter trips for Tomodachi’s four-year-old season, and she made a stunning return to action with last-to-first triumphs at Tauranga on January 10 and Ellerslie on February 22.

Tomodachi stepped up to stakes level for the first time in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) at Trentham on April 12. She flew home from 12^th in a 13-horse field that day and finished third, beaten by a half-head and a half-head. She ran the fastest times in the race for her final 800, 600, 400 and 200 metres.

All eyes were on Tomodachi in Saturday’s fillies and mares’ feature, in which her obvious class was expected to shine through despite the testing Heavy10 track conditions.

After settling in third-last, jockey Joe Doyle elected to save ground and stick to the inside coming around the home turn. Tomodachi burst through and hit the lead at the top of the straight, then kept up a strong gallop through the last 200 metres to beat Bedtime Story (NZ) (Per Incanto) by a length and three-quarters.

“She’s all class,” Doyle said. “The track is in bits now and it’s tough wherever you go, so I didn’t see much point in going wide and spending more petrol than I needed to.

“She was on the bridle a little bit today, but looking at her previous races, I’ve seen her pull a lot harder than that.

“Going into next season, when she gets on a good track, she can run some savage splits. She’s very high-class. All credit to Lance, Andrew and the owners.”

Scott was delighted to add a valuable black-type win to Tomodachi’s pedigree page for breeders Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and owner Sir Peter Vela.

“What a mare,” Scott said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s quick ground or wet ground – she’s just a really good racehorse, and she can only get better from here.

“To get the big black type and a Group Three win today is so valuable for the team at Pencarrow, and we still think it’s all in front of her. We can start to get really serious with her next season.

“Her sectional times at Trentham last start were just off the charts. She has an exceptional turn of foot when she’s on quick ground and has the opportunity to let down.”

Tomodachi is by Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino (NZ), who himself was a high-class winner of the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) and Group One Rosehill Guineas (2000m). He is the sire of 101 winners from 199 runners, headed by Group One winners Gypsy Goddess (NZ), Jungle Magnate (NZ) and this season’s New Zealand Derby (2400m) hero Willydoit (NZ). He has also been represented by this season’s stakes-winning Australian stayers Torranzino (NZ) and Kadavar (NZ).

Tomodachi is out of Quintessentially (NZ) (High Chaparral), who is a daughter of the Group One-placed Uberalles (NZ) (Giant’s Causeway) and a granddaughter of the champion Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm).

Uberalles is a half-sister to the stakes performers Seraphim (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), Imperium (NZ) (Encosta De Lago) and Duquesa (NZ) (Encosta De Lago), along with the dams of black-type stars Supera (NZ) (Savabeel), Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi) and last season’s Pencarrow-bred stakes winner Pericles (NZ) (Rubick).

Quintessentially herself won three races up to 2100 metres, and she has a perfect record of two winners from two foals to race.