SMART ASHBURTON DEBUT
Burnham trainer Mark Jones will look for a Nevele R Fillies Heat run with Christian Seel after her impressive 1:56.1 mile, first-up, to win at Ashburton on Saturday, February 11.
“Greg (Brodie, owner) already has Holme Fire qualified. She’s not as good as Holme Fire, but is worth running in a heat,” he said.
Christian Seel, after settling back on the outer, improved with cover and sprinted best in the straight to win easing down by 3 1/4 lengths.
She was too quick in the home, coming clear of pacemaker Camgoli Cam and Between The Lines, which the winner tracked up.
The Falcon Seelster filly has a bit going for her on breeding, being the second foal from the 2004 Nevele R Fillies Final and Queensland Oaks winner Turkana (p3, 1:57.1 m.r, 1950m).
Turkana (Christian Cullen-Kisumu) won six on the track when secured for Greg Brodie by Bruce Negus.
At stud, Turkana left a Falcon Seelster filly Christian Watch, which was unplaced in just two starts for Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, then her next foal, a full brother died suddenly from a ruptured aorta in the paddock.
Mark Jones is preparing Mach Kana, a 2YO half-sister by Mach Three to Christian Seel, which will be ready to trial next week.
After foaling Mach Kana, Turkana was sold by Mr Brodie along with the dams of Alexis and Coastal, in a package deal to Studholme Bloodstock.
Christian Seel’s Ashburton win was timely for Studholme Bloodstock’s Brian West, who is offering Turkana’s next foal Dark Side, a colt by Mach Three, at the NZ Premier Yearling Sale on March 5.
Turkana’s dam Kisumu (Nero’s BB-Kinshasha) showed early speed winning a NZ Sires Stakes 2YO Fillies Championship, and has left the useful winners Kikiyu (p3, 1:55.7, 13 Australasian wins), Lavros Kisumu (four NZ wins, five in America, 1:56.4h) and Rafiki, the dam of winners, Amboseli (six) and Bwana (two).
Other notable winners in the Christian Seel maternal family as former NZ Breeders Stakes winner Time To Fly (eight wins) and former big-winning Victoria pacer, The Warp Drive (19 wins and $464,971).
Regan Todd chimed in to win the other fillies and mares maiden, the Studholme “Premier Yearlings” Mobile Pace, on Saturday, with Strata Star, which he trains from Overport Lodge, in 1:58.6. 
Strata Star (Bettor’s Delight-Star Rhapsody), a half-sister to two-win mare Geo Star, showed good gate speed to lead early from gate six then eased to trail Zagami at the 1100m.
She finished best along the sprint lane to win by a length from strong finisher Tyron’s Falcon Ella, and Zagami, the leaders running their last 800m in 57.8s and the final 400m in 27.1s.
Smart Overport lodge mare Supreme Gem finished a sound third from the second row in the $16,000 Christian Cullen Canterbury Mares Speed Series Final.
After settling back into the first turn, Mark had Supreme Gem on the impove to be parked at the half-way point.
She fought tenaciously in the run home but couldn’t hold the sit-sprint finish of Twilight Rascal, who improved three wide with cover and came clear to win in 1:55.7.
Twilight Rascal, trained by Kevin Chapman and driven by Stephen McNally, was rewarded after some useful placings in recent weeks, coming out on top by three-quarters of a length from good late finisher Temepara Cullen, with half a head back to Supreme Gem.