Yurrapendi scored on debut at Newcastle on Saturday to bring up a career first for Pendragon at stud.  The Bart Cummings trained filly was appearing for just the second time when she won the Hunter Valley Torana Club Maiden (1200m).

Yurrapendi (3f Pendragon – Garryurra by Daylami) raced on the pace and was game in the straight for a resounding victory over her 11 rivals.  “She made good progress into this race and the win was well deserved,” Leilani Lodge foreman James Cummings said.  “She is still learning her craft but, importantly, she showed she can close out a race.”

Think Big Stud sire Pendragon achieved so much in a career that was cruelly limited to nine starts.  He was precocious enough to all but win a Golden Slipper lead-up in his juvenile debut before stamping himself as significant talent as a three-year-old.

He had held his own with subsequent G1 winners Racing To Win and Paratroopers when third in the Golden Rose.

Stepped up in distance, Pendragon used his devastating turn of foot to then annex the G3 Gloaming Stakes and G3 Norman Robinson Stakes.  He was also unlucky not to have finished closer when second in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes and fourth in the G1 Victoria Derby where he was asked to come from the tail at the top of the straight.

Dato Tan Chin Nam stands Pendragon alongside Danehill sire Prince Arthur for an $8,800 (inc gst) fee at Think Big Stud.  He is a son of Danzig’s champion sprinter Elnadim out of NZ G1 Oaks winner Alacrity.

Yurrapendi’s dam Garryurra has also foaled the Singapore winner Buzet (Refuse to Bend) and she has a 2yo and a yearling filly by God’s Own.  The mare foaled another Pendragon filly has month and she was covered by him again a day before the Newcastle milestone.

Pendragon can sire another winner with the Cummings trained Dragonzone at Warwick Farm this week.