Darci Brahma (NZ) has enjoyed a terrific start to the new season and the winning run continued at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Cambridge based filly Artistic led home a quinella for The Oaks Stud stallion when she overcame a leader bias to score a last to first victory the Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m)

The Bonecrusher Stakes was a fitting result for trainer Shaun Ritchie who strapped the champion for his father Frank during the 1980s.

Artistic (3f Darci Brahma – Artless by Dahar) had been freshened up after an exciting win in a Ruakaka maiden over 1200m last month.  She missed the start that day yet still defeated subsequent smart winner Papilio (Redoute’s Choice).

The winner is a half-sister to the former Gai Waterhouse trained G1 AJC Epsom Handicap winner Excellerator (Marscay).

Runner-up Vincent Street is by Darci Brahma out of G1 winner It’s My Sin (Success Express) and was coming off a maiden victory at Rotorua earlier this month.  The Wayne Hillis trained galloper is a half-brother to G2 Chairman’s Hcp winner Divine Rebel (Don Eduardo).

Darci Brahma (Danehill) retired to The Oaks Stud in 2007 after a career that included Group 1 wins in the T J Smith Classic at Eagle Farm and the NZ 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.

His first-crop son Darci Be Good is a last-start winner of the G3 Spring Stakes at Newcastle and is being set for the G1 ATC Spring Champion Stakes next month.

Darci Brahma’s exciting galloper Super Easy has won three from three for trainer Michael Freedman since arriving in Singapore.  And his Melbourne based filly Our Miss Jones is knocking on the door after finishing second to star filly Atlantic Jewel at Caulfield on Saturday

Darci Brahma is standing for a $20,000 (plus gst) service fee at The Oaks this season.