News and Media

10 October 2010

Talented Melbourne apprentice Billy Egan notched a career milestone in Adelaide on Saturday when he partnered Kittens to a thrilling win in the listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m).

Egan made the trip across to the South Australian capital for a good book of rides and wound up with a treble - including his first black type victory.

The 20-year-old was delighted his first stakes success came for his boss, Melbourne Cup winning trainer Mark Kavanagh.

Kittens, a well bred daughter of champion sire Redoute's Choice, sent her broodmare value soaring when she edged out the favourite Magnifique Soleil.

Connections have more black type races on the agenda and will be hoping she follows in the hoofsteps of previous winners including Kibbutz, On a Jeune and Skybeau.

"She's heading toward the Oaks," Kavanagh said of Kittens. "She'll run in the Wakeful (Stakes) on the way through."

Kavanagh said Kittens had always shown good ability and it was a matter of getting the filly up in trip.

"She appreciated the step up to 1800 (metres) and the blinkers went on as well," Kavanagh pointed out.

The win was a timely boost for owner Gerry Harvey who will present, through his Baramul Stud draft, Kittens' full brother at January's 2011 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Also by Redoute's Choice, the colt is the latest from the regally related and top producing Barathea mare St. Katherine.

The lightly raced mare has two winners from two runners and both are black type performers.

As well as Kittens, St. Katherine is the dam of the Sydney and Melbourne stakes placegetter Saint Encosta.

St. Katherine is a daughter of the stakes winning Bletchingly mare St. Klaire - making her a half sister to the Group One winners Bonanova, Fraternity and Telesto.