A decision is pending on whether Banchee (2 B. F. Oratorio – Miss Jessie Jay, by Spectacularphantom) will tackle the Golden Slipper or the Sires’ Produce Stakes after her thrilling win in the $200,000 Group One Auckland Diamond Stakes for two-year-olds over 1200 metres at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Trainer John Sargent said a tilt at the A$3.5 million, Group One AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on April 3 was an option, although meeting acceptance criteria and a late entry fee of A$150,000 would be required, while the alternative is a start in the $200,000, Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni, also on April 3.

“We’ll just settle things down and see how she goes. She might go to Sydney, but we’ll just see how she comes through this. We’ll know in the next few days," Sargent said.

"I’ll speak to Sam (Kelt) and see what he wants to do. She’s a horse you could take to Australia because you can’t take a normal New Zealand two-year-old running on the pace, but you can get back and get at them with a big finish and she’s the type that could."

Banchee is owned by Sam and Bird Kelt after being purchased as a yearling for $375,000 from the draft of Hallmark Stud at the 2009 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale by Bruce Perry Bloodstock.

A fortnight ago, Banchee won the group two Matamata Breeeders’ Stakes over 1200 metres, with Sargent saying, “She’s gone up another level since the Breeders’.”

Banchee took advantage of barrier one to record victory at the highest level.

Sargent said, “Today was a hard call because we prefer to settle her a bit further back, but we had to use the draw and she has got a lot of gate speed.”

“She doesn’t need much work at all. She’s a very easy filly to train and probably the best two-year-old I’ve trained. She is so laidback and just the perfect two-year-old. Just sleeps and eats, lovely.”

After receiving a cosy trip in fourth place on the rail, rider Leith Innes produced Banchee two off the fence at the 300 metres where she sprinted hard to lead.

Under siege soon after by Jimmy Choux, the pair set down to battle, with Banchee digging deepest over the concluding stages to win by a head.

Cellarmaster charged late to finish second after being held up at a vital stage in the straight, with Jimmy Choux a nose away in third.

One and a quarter lengths away, Charma finished fourth, with a resulting enquiry against Jimmy Choux being dismissed.

The 1200 metres was covered in a slick time of 1:09.72, last 600m 34.88, and as favourite Banchee returned $3.20 & $1.60.

Innes, who had previously won the race in 2008 aboard current Fairdale Stud stallion Fully Fledged was stoked with the winning performance.

“She’s just a pleasure to ride. She was asleep in gates, barrier one today, and bang she’s jumped out first."

"I eased her back and she relaxed well. She just idled along off the bit.

"They went reasonably quick, but I’ve waited and waited. Jimmy Choux was going to be hard to get past, but the last fifteen or twenty strides he started to get a bit wayward in his first start right-handed and I knew I had him the last bit.

"She goes to sleep, but you know when you ask her she’s got another gear and she’s going to give one-hundred and ten percent. She’s a fighter. She’s going to be a cracking three-year-old.”

With regards a trip to Australia, Innes said, “You know she’s going to travel over. She’s so relaxed, nothing is going to upset her and there’s been no standout in the lead up races over there, it’s pretty open.”

Denny Baker from Hallmark Stud was on hand to soak up the success, as he was at Matamata recently.

“It’s unbelievable, this family is so gutsy”, said Baker

“The courage she shows is amazing. She and Katie Lee are half-sisters and they’re on a par now as group one winners. She has an extra dimension of bigger quarters behind which is typical from Oratorio, but they’ve both got a great girth and great attitudes. She’s just an absolute pleasure to be around.”

The family of Banchee hails from Kinross Stud and stud master John Malcolm, for whom Baker went to work, at what is now the location for Hallmark Stud.