Premiership leading trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson recorded their 110^th win this season when Vivacious (4 m Dundeel – Vivi Veloce, by More Than Ready) sailed home in the $35,000 Rating 75 1400 metres on 15 May at Riccarton. Although over a month between runs, having missed a start when the Riccarton poly-track meeting was abandoned prior to her race on 1 May, Vivacious had finished solidly in tight quarters for close fourth in the Rating 75 1400 metres on 12 April at Riccarton, and rated a top four chance from barrier one, although was fortunate to get a start as originally she had been on the ballot and needed a scratching to get in the field

Ridden again by Courtney Barnes, who has come of age as jockey this season, Vivacious was unable to utilize pole position in the early rush, but improved on the rail to be midfield at the 800m, and with a clever piece of riding at the 400m was able to angle clear and charge home for victory.

Stable-mates in the race, Alminette (Burgundy), kept alive her good course form when finishing third, while the other Fortuna runner, Mitre Peak (More Than Ready) followed her fresh-up second with a solid fifth.

Winning by one and a half lengths, in the race named Book A Suite Mid-Winter Xmas Races 21 June, Vivacious clocked 1400 metres in a slick 1:21.6, fractionally outside the course record (1:21.4), and shortened appreciably from an earlier $9.00 & $2.80 fixed odds quote to pay $5.30 & $2.10 on the NZ TAB tote.

Click HERE to see the race replay

On course, co-trainer Mark Walker said: “It was a strong effort and good to get another winner for John and Jessica (Galvin) and the Fortuna Racing owners. She’s always been a slower maturing filly, but that win could be quite timely in her career and give her confidence to go on in this campaign.”

Although first start on a poly-track, Vivacious had won her first trial on the poly-track as two-year-old at Cambridge, and Walker was pleased to see her cope with it at race pace. “It was also pleasing to see her let down like she did on the synthetic surface, and there’s plenty of options coming up on the poly-track at Riccarton,” he said.

Owned by Fortuna Vivacious Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), she was purchased for $60,000 by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM and Fortuna Racing at the 2022 Ready To Run Sale, from the draft of Riverrock Farm.

“She won so well earlier in the season at Ashburton, when coming from last on the home turn, but since then she often hasn’t had the rub of the green, with wet tracks, wide draws etc,” John Galvin, who was on track along with some of her Ownership Group, said. “I thought she was a real chance today, given her form, light weight (54kg), and the barrier draw (1), and she was beautifully ridden by Courtney (Barnes). She was a bit slowly away, but had a lovely soft run and Courtney just got her out at the right time. In the end she was too strong. We’ve always thought a bit of her and now she’s got her third win it could give her added confidence. Being rated 66 she’s been on the cusp of Rating 75 grade, but will probably pick up five or six points which will allow her to remain in that grade for her next start at least. And we’re hoping she’ll have a black type race in her, sometime in the future.”

Vivacious is by remarkable racehorse Dundeel (High Chaparral), who stamped himself as well above average from the day he blew his two-year-old rivals off the track on debut over 1200 metres at Ellerslie.

The six-time Group One winner gained titles on both sides of the Tasman: Champion 3YO and Horse of the Year in New Zealand, and Champion Middle Distance horse in Australia. He ended his racing career winning the $4m Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) and his progeny have been highly sought after.

So much so, that Dundeel has created a stud career on par with his racing deeds, and along with Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM, and stable star mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), he joined a total of 10 recent inductees to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame, which was celebrated last Sunday in Hamilton.

The dam side of her pedigree is also particularly rich. Incredibly, world renowned dam-sire More Than Ready (Southern Halo) is one of only six stallions to have sired in excess of 200 stakes winners, with 26 Group One winners among them. He has been Champion Sire in both hemispheres, proved an outstanding sire of sires and going from strength-to-strength as a broodmare sire.

Vivacious carries a bloodline cross to immortal sire Northern Dancer. Her dam, Vivi Veloce, was a Group Three winner over 1200 metres in Australia, and grand-dam Royal Sash (Royal Academy) also won at Group Three level among five wins to 1400 metres.

Vivacious is raced by the Fortuna Vivacious Syndicate, an ownership group of 61 individuals  – Vivacious was strapped by Emma Angland.