Pedigree of the Week: Omana

It is debatable whether a better bred horse raced anywhere in the southern hemisphere on Saturday - or all week for that matter - than Omana (Bernadinni-Gussy Godiva). The John Bary trained three-year-old filly won her maiden over 1600m at Woodville, at her third career start.

Settling third on the rails for jockey Kelly Myers, the filly seemed to lack the confidence to take the gaps as they presented in the straight, but once urged through by Myers with 100m to go, she quickened like a good horse to race away and win by a length and a quarter from No Change (Shinko King). The race may have some depth to it as the runner-up was beaten two lengths by the promising Abraham Lincoln (O'Reilly) at his previous start.

Omana is the only filly foal to date from the 2009 New Zealand Broodmare of the Year Gussy Godiva (Last Tycoon-Sneetch). Sensibly she has been retained by her breeders, the Ormond family from Waipukurau in Southern Hawkes Bay.

Omana's distaff has Hurricane country roots deeper than Tui beer. The instigator is the wonderful Te Parae matron Sanderae (Oncidium-Nell by Knight's Romance) who has been quietly establishing her own dynasty as a taproot mare. The likes of recent Hong Kong Group One winner Glorious Days, American Group One winner Black Mamba (a half sister to Gussy Godiva), and Australian Group Two winner Torrio's Quest, all trace to her.

Gussy Godiva, whose first two foals were the Group Two Wellington Guineas winner Rios (Hussonet) and Group One AJC Derby winner Roman Emperor (Montjeu), had her fifth live foal, a Redoute's Choice colt, sell for $400,000 at last years Sydney Easter Yearling Sale. She delivered her sixth live foal, a colt by Medaglia D'Oro last September before been served by Redoute's Choice.

Gussy Godiva is an Australian metropolitan winning daughter of the outstanding broodmare influence Last Tycoon, while her second and third dams are daughters of leading broodmare stallions Grosvenor and Sound Reason respectively. Her fourth dam is Sanderae.

Omana's sire the Darley shuttler Bernadinni has made a spectacular start to his stallion career in the Northern Hemisphere with five group one winners in his first group, including one in England. While his impact downunder has been more subdued he does have a number of promising types headed by the Snowden pair of Meidung and Solemn, and Ruud Awakening, the current pre post favourite for the Karaka Million.

Omana is nominated for the New Zealand Oaks and while she will probably need at least another win or at least some stakes form to make the field, one would be game to bet against either outcome judging by her impressive win earlier today. While her connections will unquestionably seek black -type for her, Omana's pedigree already has sufficient depth and construction to guarantee her a place in any broodmare band.