Quilista seals Birthday Card Stakes win

Quilista has won on her debut in Sydney, taking out the Birthday Card Stakes at Rosehill.

Quilista has opened her Sydney autumn campaign in style by securing coveted black-type in the Group Three Birthday Card Stakes at Rosehill.

Perth trainer Justin Warwick transferred the four-year-old to Darren Weir with the goal of boosting her potential as a broodmare and Victoria’s leading trainer delivered to cap a successful Golden Slipper day.

“Justin still owns her. He sent her over to hopefully better her career and win a Group One race and she’s on the right track,” Weir’s stable representative Jarrod McLean said.

Quilista ($4.20) set the early tempo in the 1200m journey and wore down her rivals before she hit the line 1-1/4 lengths clear of $3.10 favourite Sugar Bella.

Hetty Heights ($31) was 2-1/2 lengths back in third.

McLean said Weir would now pick out another Sydney target for Quilista, who has also won a Listed race in Western Australia.

Tommy Berry, who returned from Hong Kong for the meeting, finished on a high with his only success from a book of seven rides.

“It feels like she’s going slower than she is. She sustained her run right to the line, as a lot of Darren’s horses do,” Berry said.

Quilista followed Master Of Arts and Gailo Chop – Weir’s first Sydney Group One triumph – into the winners’ stall after they won the Group Three Manion Cup and Ranvet Stakes respectively.