Promising Filly Pegs Southern Group Two Oaks To Her Record

Enigmatic filly Delightful Peg (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) brought her manners to Ascot Park on Sunday when securing an all-important stakes scalp in the Group Two Nevele R Stud/Macca Lodge Southern Oaks Final (2200m).

The daughter of Bettor’s Delight showed good gate speed from the ace draw to keep her inside advantage and take an early lead before driver Matthew Williamson elected to hand up to Utah Jazz (NZ) (Bettor's Delight) down the back straight. 

She enjoyed an economical passage for the remainder of the journey before she was presented up the passing lane where she was able to show a good turn of foot to grab the lead. While Delightful Peg showed greenness in the concluding stages, she was still able to hold on to score a three-quarter length victory over Elektra King (NZ), with a further half head back to Captain Mistress (NZ) in third.

The three-year-old filly has been a work-in-progress for Leeston trainer Brad Mowbray, but he said the penny is starting to drop with his promising filly.

“We were hopeful,” Mowbray said. “We have got a lot of faith in her but she does a few things wrong when she shouldn’t. 

“She had a couple of ordinary efforts in the past, but we have worked on that in the last couple of weeks and it looks like it has paid off. Today she put her best foot forward, so we are really pleased.”

While Williamson was pleased with her improved racing manners on Sunday, he said there is still plenty of improvement left in the filly.

“She has always had a bit of class about her but the compass has always been a bit erratic, and it still was even today,” he said. “She showed how good of an ability she has got, but there is still a bit of tinkering to be done.”

Delightful Peg was bred by Tony Barron and is out of one-win Live Or Die mare Elite Medley, a half-sister to Group Two performer Medley Moose.

Delightful Peg was offered through Barron’s 2023 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft where she was purchased for $20,000.

Sunday’s victory was Delightful Peg’s first at stakes level, and brought her record to three wins from 18 starts, and more than $56,000 in prizemoney.

Mowbray said his charge will now head for a well-deserved spell.

“She will definitely have a holiday now and we will come back for the main races in the spring,” he said.

Vendor	Barron Bloodstock
Purchaser	Mrs JG Knight
Owner(s)	Mrs J G Knight, Mrs M J Mowbray, B K Mowbray
Breeding	Bettor's Delight - Elite Medley
Sale	2023 National Standardbred Yearling Sale, Christchurch ($20,000)
Breeder(s)	T R Barron