Fastnet Rock Fillies Impress

Two blue-blood fillies by champion sire Fastnet Rock fought out the finish of the 1200m maiden at Wyong on Thursday and there will be more wins in store for both.

Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Riduna (3f Fastnet Rock x Aldernerney, by High Chaparral) is very much on the smaller side of thoroughbreds, but this pocket rocket packs a punch and dug deep to score a long neck win over strong finishing Mystic Mermaid (3f Fastnet Rock x Asavant, by Zabeel), the full sister to nine time Group I winner Avantage.

In her first preparation Riduna finished third and fifth in maiden events won by stakes class fillies Ashema and De Ann Andretti and broke through here at her second run back from a spell.

A $120,000 Magic Millions purchase for her trainers from the Glastonbury Farm draft, Riduna runs for a big ownership group and looks to have a bright future.

She is a three-quarter sister-in-blood to stakes-winner Casquets and is the first winner from placed High Chaparral mare Alderney, a full sister to stakes-winner Ballet Suite.

The Chris Waller trained second place-getter Mystic Mermaid turned in a great run on debut and is a homebred for Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock.

She has a bit to live up to as a full sister to champion mare Avantage, who sold last week through Gavelhouse Plus for NZ$4.1million to Coolmore.

Mystic Mermaid is the fourth foal to race from stakes-winning Zabeel mare Asavant, whose three previous runners are all winners.

Asavant has a yearling colt by Fastnet Rock and was covered by him again last spring.