Premier trainer Chris Waller won the first black-type of the season in Sydney when Coup Ay Tee (NZ) led home a stable quinella in the LR Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Coup Ay Tee (6g Danske – Flying Coup by Tuscany Flyer) defeated French import Bayrir (Medicean) by half a length after accelerating through a narrow opening close to home.  “The way he went through that gap was something to watch!” Waller said.

Jockey Jason Collett was confident in running.  “He got into a great rhythm,” the Kiwi hoop said.  “It was just a matter of finding clear air.”

Coup Ay Tee is a homebred for leading NZ owner-breeder Ray Coupland who has raced a string of top-class gallopers including Group 1 mare Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago).

The Winter Challenge was his 8th win for earnings over $401,300.  He started out with a Wingatui maiden win for trainer Michael Pitman in February 2011.

Coup Ay Tee is the 14th stakes winner for Danske (Danehill) who stood at Windsor Park Stud from 1999 until his death in 2009.  His dam Flying Coup was a LR winner of the Canterbury Belle Stakes and her only other winner has been Coup Flyer (Darci Brahma).

The mare has an unnamed 3yo colt by Sakhee’s Secret and an unnamed 2yo filly by Darci Brahma.

Bayrir (Fr) created a good impression at his first run since a close-up sixth in the G1 Hong Kong Vase won by Red Cadeaux last December.  Prior to that, he won a USA G1 at Arlington and a French G2 at Maisons-Laffitte, both over 2000m, for owner-breeder the Aga Khan.