Love Poem propelled herself up the fixed-odds market for the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) with a dominant first-up performance at Te Rapa on Friday.

The highly talented Snitzel filly was a stakes placegetter in all of her three starts as a two-year-old. She was runner-up to Captured By Love on debut in the Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m), then finished third behind Captured By Love and Alabama Lass in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). In her only other start, she ran second to Domain Ace in the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m).

Love Poem took a big step down in class for her three-year-old debut in Friday’s NZB Mega Maiden Bonus Series Maiden (1200m), and she was sent out as a $1.50 favourite. She duly asserted her superiority, tracking the front-runner Super Scheme before moving through her gears in the straight and striding clear to win by three and a half lengths.

“She won really well,” trainer Stephen Marsh said. “The margin makes it look like a pretty good win, but I think her performance had even more merit than you might think at first glance. She got into a nice spot, but then the horse in front was just wanting to run her off the track a little bit. For her to overcome that, pull away and win so easily was very pleasing to see.”

Love Poem’s four-start career has now produced a win and three placings, earning $64,875 for owner Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock.

Marsh is working backwards from the New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 16, for which the TAB now rates her a $10 third favourite behind Alabama Lass ($3) and Captured By Love ($4).

“Love Poem is always a filly that’s shown a lot of class,” Marsh said. “She performed very well in stakes company last season against some of the better two-year-olds. It’s great to see her come back so much bigger and stronger at three.

“She’ll go to the Soliloquy Stakes (Gr.2, 1400m) now, and then carry on into the 1000 Guineas.”

Love Poem is by Snitzel out of the Lonhro mare Madrigals, who is a full-sister to the multiple Group One winner and quality sire Pierro. Love Poem is one of two winners out of Madrigals, the other being the Australian Group Three winner Estriella.

Marsh was also pleased with the performance of another of his promising three-year-olds, Kiwi Skyhawk, who produced a big late finish for fourth in Friday’s SJC Foundation 3YO (1200m).

“He was really good,” Marsh said. “We think he’s going to make a real Derby (Gr.1, 2400m) horse.

“We freshened him up after his last-start win, and we were basically using Friday’s race as a trial. He produced exactly the type of performance we were looking for.

“He’s an exciting horse and I’m looking forward to getting him down to Christchurch too. He’ll be a nice chance in the 2000 Guineas.”

The TAB rates Kiwi Skyhawk a $16 chance in a 2000 Guineas market headed by Age Of Discovery ($4), Savaglee ($5) and Sought After ($8).