Ananbandana confirmed her status as New Zealand’s best juvenile with a demolition job of the G1 Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Sent out favourite on the strength of wins in the G3 Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie and G2 Breeders’ Stakes at Matamata, she streaked clear under Opie Bosson to beat Fort Lincoln (Charge Forward) and Chateauneuf Dupape (Darci Brahma) by next to three lengths.

Sellwood is in the twilight of his training career and says Anabandana is by far the best two-year-old he has prepared.  “I won Group races with Pulcinella but this one is something special,” he explained.  “You wait years for a horse like her”

Sellwood first saw the Anabaa filly as a foal at Cambridge Stud.  “She was nothing special, in fact she was plain and little.. But she’s a real racehorse now and has a wonderful temperament.”

Anabandana (2f Anabaa – Great Notice by Nureyev) was purchased by leading New Zealand bloodstock agent Marcus Corban for $26,000 from the Reavill Farm draft at the 2009 Magic Millions National weanling sale.  He bought the filly on behalf of Sellwood and his Hamilton based client Christopher Grace.

Anabandana is by deceased Widden shuttler Anabaa.  He is the sire of world-champion mare Goldikova and his Kiwi stock includes Imananabaa who won the 2008 G1 NZ Railway Stakes.

His Diamond Stakes filly is a half-sister to Gybe (Fastnet Rock), a Listed winner of the 2009 AJC Gimcrack Stakes.  Their dam Great Notice foaled a Stratum filly last year.

Great Notice is sister to the international stakes winner European Rose and the latter is the dam of New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner King’s Rose.