Makybe Diva Relation Wins In City

The burden of carrying the same bloodlines as one of the great racehorses of the Australian turf is getting easier for La Amistad.

A three-quarter sister to three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva and racing in the same silks of owner Tony Santic, La Amistad cracked it for some overdue recognition of her own in winning at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

“She is no Makybe Diva but as long as she keeps improving that’s all that matters,” co-trainer Michael Hawkes said after La Amistad posted her fourth win in 10 starts.

Sent out a well-supported favourite in the Pro-Ride Handicap, La Amistad ($3.30) confirmed she is going to be an accomplished stayer in her own right as she raced away to beat Saghann ($4.80) by 2-3/4 lengths.

La Amistad promises to be one of the best of a host of Makybe Diva relations that have been anchored by expectation during their careers.

But it took four starts across two campaigns for La Amistad, a four-year-old, to break through and with the exception of an end-of-spring cameo at Flemington, she has been kept away from racing’s biggest stages.

“Probably patience is the biggest thing,” Hawkes said.

“(Owners) Tony Santic, Greg Ingham and Michael Sullivan have been patient with her and at the end of the day they are getting the results now.

“Today (Wednesday) was probably her best win to date and it was probably her best run to date. She switched off and the best part was when James (McDonald) just let her improve into the bridle.”

La Amistad was scratched from the feature stayers’ race at the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting on Saturday to be saved for the midweek assignment.

Trainer Gary Portelli is planning a Brisbane campaign for Next Level after the two-year-old returned to racing with a breakthrough win in the Drummond Golf Handicap.

To save his racing career, Next Level was gelded after finishing last of four runners in a Randwick race in February.

“We had to make that nasty cut that no owner wants to do but it paid off today (Wednesday),” Portelli said.

– AAP

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