Flying southern filly La Diosa upstaged the northern colts at Ashburton where she returned a perfect dress rehearsal ahead of her debut on the Group One stage.
The Matt and Mandy Browne-trained 3-year-old turned in a dazzling display to claim Saturday's Listed Barneswood Farm Stakes at the expense of the Matamata visitors Heroic Valour and Savile Row.
La Diosa was bred by local Northland breeder Terry Archer, who races the filly with a number of local owners such as lawyer Grant Currie
The winner of the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes at her previous appearance, La Diosa is now the favourite at $4.50 for the Group One gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 12.
"A pass mark would have been to beat the other fillies, but to beat the colts like that was great," Matt Brown said.