Daniela Rosa will be targeted at early spring stakes races after upstaging favourite Euro Angel in the Rivette Series Final at Flemington.
The Mike Moroney-trained Daniela Rosa ($6.50) was second-up in Saturday’s $120,000 race for fillies after a win at Sale and was able to get the better of Euro Angel ($2.10) to win by three-quarters of a length.
They put a gap on the rest of their rivals with Payroll another 2-1/2 lengths away third.
Moroney ran Daniela Rosa in the Kewney Stakes and Alexandra Stakes during the autumn without success but is confident the rising four-year-old is up to stakes company.
“To be fair to her, by the time we got her into black-type races last time she was getting on the tired side, I think,” Moroney said.
“I always thought she was up to it and we were a bit disappointed she didn’t get black type last preparation.
“I’m just hoping in the early part of the spring against the mares she’ll get her chance to do that.”
Daniela Rosa is owned by New Zealander Lib Petagna whose colours have been carried to feature race success in Australia this season in the Australian Oaks by Sofia Rosa and Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Lucia Valentina.
“Lib has been a great supporter from the first horse we bought for him which won a Group One. A filly called Clean Sweep,” Moroney said.
Jockey Dwayne Dunn said Euro Angel over-raced in behind the lead and would have appreciated a stronger tempo.
Euro Angel hit the front inside the 200m and Dunn said he thought he was going to hold them off but the 60kg might have dulled the filly’s sprint.
