Kapsboy emulated his well-performed half-sister Fleur de Lune when he made a winning debut on the Rotorua track today - and in doing so gave trainer Lee Somervell a dream send off.

“We’ve managed to fit in a holiday and we’re flying out tomorrow to Canada for three weeks for the Calgary Stampede,” the Cambridge horseman said. “Fleur de Lune did exactly the same thing and won her first start here, so this is perfect.”

Somervell had been confident of a first-up success from Kapsboy after an impressive trial win at Paeroa earlier this month. “Jason (Jago) is a very good judge and said he could have won by six lengths – he’s got heaps of ability,” he said.

The Ishiguru two-year-old jumped well from the gates in the 1230-metre event to sit just off the pace before Jago asked him for his best on straightening. He quickly mastered the pacemaker Emerald Green and strode home by a length-and-a-quarter, with Move Faster a brave third.

Kapsboy will now be given an early chance to add more black type to the family roll of honour in the Listed Ryder Stakes at Otaki on July 28 next on his programme. “He’ll tell me when he’s had enough, but if he’s fine we can carry on after that for the early spring races,” Somervell said. “I’m confident 1600 metres will have no fears for him.”

Bred by Cambridge identity Ada Parnwell, who has retained an ownership interest, Kapsboy is out of the three-time winning Kaapstad mare Kapsjoy. She has also produced a Ustinov filly, who is currently being broken in, and is in foal again to Fleur de Lune’s sire Stravinsky.

“The mare gives them all a wonderful temperament and the foal will be a sister to Fleur de Lune, who will be back in the stable tomorrow and do four to six weeks on the aqua-walker,” Somervell said.

Fleur de Lune is being aimed toward the spring Triple Crown carnival at Hastings. Last August she finished third to star performers Mufhasa and Jimmy Choux in the Gr. 1 Makfi Challenge Stakes.