Lizzie L’Amour provided yet another boost to Highlands Farms Stud’s well performed young sire Pathfork’s pedigree when she took out Thursday’s G1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie.
The daughter of Zabeel prevailed in a photo finish over Benzini to score the first G1 victory of her career.

The former G3 Waikato Cup winner is co-trained by Andrew Forsman and Murray Baker and Forsman said after the win, “She’s got it all ahead of her. Sydney is a possibility but we will have a talk with the owners and make a decision on where we go. She’s got a lot stronger recently and her win today didn’t surprise me.”

Lizzie L’Amour’s third dam is champion and G1 winner Aviance –also the third dam of Irish Champion 2YO, and G1 National Stakes/G2 Futurity Stakes winner Pathfork. (Lizzie L’Amour also shares her broodmare sire Sadler’s Wells with Pathfork –making the two very closely related indeed).

The latter, a son of champion US sire Distorted Humor, made a cracking start to his stud career with his first crop including the likes of G3 Godolphin Barb Stakes winner Red Chesnut Road, stakes performer Turbo and talented 3yo Elusive Path –who has already earned over R400 000 in stakes.

Pathfork, whose other notable relatives including top class sires El Gran Senor, Northern Guest and Redoute’s Choice has three lots on today’s Cape Yearling Sale –a half brother to 4 winners out of three time winning Jallad mare (Lot 9), a colt from the same family as Guineas winner Michaelmas (Lot 60), and a colt from the famed Denise’s Joy family –responsible for SA champ Joie de Grise and former champion sire Thorn Park (Lot 67).

The former Irish Champion is also represented on this weekend’s March Yearling Sale, with Pathfork’s eight strong draft including a filly out of Oaks Trial winner Markofdistinction (Lot 54), a daughter of G3 winning sprinter Mighty Doll (Lot 59), and a half-sister to G1 winning filly On Her Toes (Lot 105).