SHARP from the gates at Trentham before being eased off the speed, Duchess Kate showed great tenacity to fight off a myriad of challenges to land the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes for three-year-old fillies over 1,600 metres on Saturday. The win for the Matamata training partnership of Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards improved Duchess Kate’s record to three wins from seven starts and has her earmarked for the Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic on February 13th before a possible New Zealand Oaks start on March 19th back at Trentham.

“She’s been very tough from day one and she’s a very classy filly who’s on the way up,” said co-trainer Jamie Richards. Duchess Kate is a full-sister to the year-older dual-Group 2 winner Saavoya. The pair, bred and raced by Max Whitby, are by Savabeel, with Duchess Kate becoming the 47th Stakes-winner for the Waikato Stud-based son of Zabeel who was the Champion Sire in New Zealand last season.