Victory in a tight photo finish in Sunday’s $18,500 BWAG Best Windows And Glass (1200m) at Woodville added a second win to a promising record for Pencarrow’s lightly raced mare Wailea (NZ) (Darci Brahma).

The four-year-old has now had seven starts for two wins and a placing and has earned $30,564. She was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and is raced by Sir Peter Vela.

Wailea began her career with five starts as a three-year-old last season. She contested three races in Australia in the spring, then joined the Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie stable and recorded a second and a win from two appearances at Waverley in March and April.

After resuming with a sixth in a highly competitive Rating 65 event at Ellerslie on October 17, Wailea returned to winning form second-up on Sunday.

Wailea was ridden by Masa Hashizume and sat fifth and one off the rail before sliding forward as the field made their way down the side of the track.

The front-running No Love Lost (NZ) (Ribchester) was firmly in Wailea’s sights as she came around the home turn, and she strode past that rival to take the lead with less than 200 metres to run.

A late challenge came from the strong-finishing favourite Miss Fireball (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns), but Wailea dug deep and refused to let her pass. They raced side by side through a tight final 50 metres, and Wailea clung on to win by a nose. 

Wailea is by Darci Brahma (NZ), who was bred by Sir Peter Vela and his late brother Philip and was sold through Pencarrow’s draft at the 2004 Premier Sale at Karaka, where Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis bought him for $1.1m. 

Darci Brahma went on to win 10 races including the Group One TJ Smith Classic (1600m), New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Otaki-Maori WFA (1600m), Telegraph Handicap (1200m) and Waikato Sprint (1400m). 

From a long and successful career at The Oaks Stud, Darci Brahma has sired over 630 individual winners, with 60 stakes winners including Group One stars Nashville (NZ), Julinsky Prince (NZ), Recite (NZ), Sierra Sue (NZ), Catalyst (NZ), Risque (NZ), Artistic (NZ), Irish Fling (NZ), Kahma Lass (NZ), D B Pin (NZ), Devise (NZ) and Gust Of Wind (NZ).

The dam of Wailea is Opito Bay (Bahamian Bounty), who is a half-sister to the Group Three winner and Group One Coronation Stakes (1600m) and Premio Lydia Tesio (2000m) placegetter Nova Hawk (Hawk Wing).

Wailea is one of four winners from five foals to race out of Opito Bay, along with the four-race winner Opito Ballerina (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and the winners Doves Bay (NZ) (Exosphere) and Shakabrah (NZ) (Darci Brahma).

Wailea’s younger half-sister Palombaggia (NZ) (Circus Maximus) has had two starts to date for two fourth placings, while Opito Bay’s final foal is an unnamed two-year-old filly by Ocean Park (NZ).