Woodside Park’s German-bred mare Takenja has made an auspicious start to her Australian career in the Bushnell Outdoor Products Hcp (1400m) at Sandown.

The Mick Price trained six year-old will eventually be mated with Woodside Park stallion Zoustar and, in the meantime, she will be given the chance to earn more black-type for owner Mark Rowsthorn.

Takenja (Dubawi – Taita by Big Shuffle) had not raced for 16 months but was sent out favourite on the strength of her European form and a soft trial win at Cranbourne earlier this month.

“She will take plenty of improvement out of that run,” Price said after the import kept kicking to score by over a length on the Lakeside circuit.  “I don’t think I need to go too far this preparation.  She will make a beautiful black-type mare in the autumn.”

Rowsthorn purchased Takenja for 70,000 euros (AUD 105,830) at the Arqana December Sale last year.  She had won by 8 lengths at Hanover and also earned black-type when beaten a head in a Listed event in Cologne.

The Dubawi mare is a half-sister to Tai Chi (High Chaparral), a German juvenile stakes winner who was also Group 1 placed in the 2011 Critérium de Saint-Cloud.

TAKENJA
Woodside Park mare pictured winning in Germany