A flood-surviving filly, Ultimate Habit, won the Group 2 Lowland Stakes on Feb. 1, 2026, earning $107,000 and setting up a run in the New Zealand Oaks.

A three-year-old filly named Ultimate Habit, who survived Cyclone Gabrielle’s 2023 floods by swimming to safety with a neighbor’s help, won the Group 2 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes at Trentham on February 1, 2026. Bred by Graham and Isabell Roddick, the horse was rescued from a flooded Hawke’s Bay property, later trained by Robbie Patterson, and ridden to victory by Craig Grylls. In her fourth start, she overcame a wide position to win by a length, earning over $107,000. Her owners plan to enter her in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks on February 21.