Talented Pencarrow mare Fosse (NZ) (Darci Brahma) put a frustrating spring behind her with an emphatic victory in the $40,000 Kelly & Co Handicap (1600m) at Otaki on Sunday.

The daughter of Pencarrow-bred stallion Darci Brahma (NZ) showed bright promise in three starts as a three-year-old last season, recording a maiden win at Rotorua alongside a third and a fourth.

Fosse started her four-year-old campaign on an equally promising note with a strong-finishing second over 1300 metres at Ellerslie in September, but then was badly blocked when crossing the line in seventh and a fast-closing fourth in her next two starts. She finished within two lengths of the winner in both of those races and could have won with better luck in the running.

Things finally went Fosse’s way on Sunday. She was able to take up a handy position in third along the rail, and then the leader rolled off the fence at the top of the home straight and left a big gap in front of Fosse. Jockey Masa Hashizume needed no second invitation, driving Fosse through that opening to make her bid for victory.

Fosse quickly took command and went on to win by a length and three-quarters from late-finishing second placegetter The Nomad (NZ) (Mongolian Khan), with three and a half lengths back to third.

Fosse is trained by the Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie partnership, who recently reached the milestone of 200 winners in the Pencarrow colours.

“I’m just so rapt with that,” Ritchie said on Sunday. “She’s been knocking on the door all the way through this campaign. She has so much ability and has been so unlucky lately.

“We deliberately kept her a bit on the fresh side for this race, we backed off her over the last few days, and it’s worked out well.

“I think she might get out over more ground eventually, but we’ll probably stick around the mile for now and see where we go from there.”

Fosse has now had seven starts for two wins, two placings and $57,125 in prize-money. She was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and is raced by Sir Peter Vela.

She is by Darci Brahma out of Choreography (NZ) (Volksraad), who placed on the track and is a half-sister to the Group-winning Pencarrow mares Rasa Lila (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Posavina (NZ) (Tiger Hill).