Duchess Maria delivers in NZ Trotting Oaks

Duchess Maria produced a trademark powerful finish to win the Group 1 NZ Trotting Oaks (2600m) at Addington on Friday night.

The Nathan Williamson trained daughter of Father Patrick was last with a lap to go before getting a cart into the race on the back of Petite Amour.

Coming wide at the top of the straight, and with four lengths still to make up on the leaders, Duchess Maria unleashed that devastating signature sprint of hers to score going away by three-quarters of a length from Petite Amour and Our Col (Father Patrick) – running her last 800m in a stunning 55.9.

It was Duchess Maria’s seventh win from just eight starts, with five of those wins, incredibly, coming at Group Race level.

She has now earned more than $200,000 in stakes.

Bred by John and Katrina Price, Duchess Maria is out of the Muscle Hill mare Maria Tsarina.

The Oaks third-placed getter Our Col, who won the Northern Trotting Oaks earlier this season, is also out of a daughter of Muscle Hill.

Father Patrick has forged an exceptional record with mares by Muscle Hill and his sire, Muscles Yankee, with tomorrow’s Dominion Trot starters Higher Power and Meant To Be also bred this way.

Having firmly established himself as one of New Zealand’s most successful trotting stallions over the past few seasons, Father Patrick represents terrific value for breeders this year at a service fee of NZ$5,000 + GST and AU$5,500 including GST and is payable on live foal.