The first metropolitan race in Melbourne for 2022 was won in good style at Flemington by talented two year-old Capitalist filly Latizia, a $475,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Newgate draft.

Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Latizia was always travelling well for John Allen sitting wide in the field of six and extended nicely over the final furlong to draw clear and win by a length and a half.

Latizia is eligible for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in two weeks time, but the stable are leaning to not taking on their race favourite Coolangatta and preferring to stay in Melbourne for a tilt at the Blue Diamond lead up races in the quest for Black Type.

“It’s actually my first my actually sitting on her but there was high raps on her from the stable and it proved that way,” said winning rider John Allen.

“She was very professional and the plan was to take a sit on her, but she began well and she was looking to press forward, so I just let her get into a rhythm.

“I liked the way she dug in the last 100 yards and pulled away from them late. It was a good win.”

Bred by SF Bloodstock and foaled and raised at Newgate, Latizia is the first foal of Spanish Pipedream (USA), an imported stakes-winning daughter of Scat Daddy that was also fourth in the Group II Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Bought by SF Bloodstock and Newgate from the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $370,000, Spanish Pipedream missed in her first season at stud in Australia, but has been a steady producer since then.

She has a yearling filly by Exceed and Excel to follow Latiziaand a filly by I Am Invincible last spring before being covered again by Capitalist.

Capitalist has 42 entries for the 2022 Magic Millions and Newgate have a big consignment of 49 yearlings to be the third largest vendor at the Gold Coast.