Exciting Pencarrow filly Tomodachi (NZ) (Tarzino) recorded her third win in a row with another impressive performance in Saturday’s $35,000 Aon Insurance Brokers 3YO (1600m) at Te Rapa.

A third placegetter on debut at Taupo on February, Tomodachi has been flawless ever since with victories at Taupo on March 8, Matamata on March 27 and Te Rapa on Saturday.

Tomodachi is trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, and Saturday’s result was a fitting one after a moment’s silence was observed mid-race following the recent loss of O’Sullivan’s legendary father Dave.

Rider Warren Kennedy settled near the tail of the field before swooping around the outside at the home turn and lodging his claim in the straight. Tomodachi worked through her gears and finished the race off powerfully, striding to the front at the 200-metre mark and winning by half a length from the late-closing Bridal Train (NZ) (U S Navy Flag).

“What a promising filly she is for Sir Peter,” Scott said. “She won with a bit in hand and hopefully we can take her to Brisbane with a bit of confidence.

“She is a very promising stayer and will make a Group horse in time. She has just quickened so well today. We’ve had to teach her to stay, so to see her kick on is great and she is bred to go a lot further.”

Kennedy has been in the saddle for all of Tomodachi’s three wins.

“She was a real treat today, she did everything right,” he said. “She settled really well and when I let her build into the race, she quickened nicely. She was looking around and waiting for a challenge after I hit the front – she wanted something to chase.”

Bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and raced by Sir Peter Vela, Tomodachi has now had four starts for three wins, a placing and $47,110 in stakes.

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 69 winners from 150 runners, headed by Group One winners Gypsy Goddess (NZ) and Jungle Magnate (NZ), along with promising Australian three-year-old Immediacy (NZ), who recently won the Group Two Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield.

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 the recent 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 named foals. Since producing Tomodachi in 2020, she has had a filly by Vadamos and a colt by Hello Youmzain.