Endean Rose has already exceeded the expectations of her connections, but the under-rated Rotorua mare isn’t finished providing the thrills.

The Savabeel seven-year-old mare boasts six wins and 12 placings from her 39 starts and, most importantly, she has added to her potential broodmare value with Group One and Group Two placings.

She was runner-up to Mime in last April’s Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa and surpassed that performance when a courageous third behind Wait A Sec and Gingernuts in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings last month.

Now she is back on the black-type trail in her first assignment since her surprise Livamol Classic effort. She will contest the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday and trainer and part-owner Iain Kennedy hopes it will be the start of a couple of successful trips to Auckland.

“The Zabeel Classic is her main aim,” Kennedy said referring to the Gr.1 weight-for-age 2000-metre feature at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

“She’ll have this one on Saturday then probably go to the Cal Isuzu, the fillies and mares race at Te Rapa, before the Zabeel.

“The icing on the cake would be to win a Group race, preferably a Group One.”

Kennedy shares in the ownership of Endean Rose (bred by the late Jim Campin) with his wife, Linda, and friend Andrew Burton and you would have thought they had already tasted Group One success, such is the excitement they have shown over their Group One and Group Two placings.

“We got so excited when she ran second in the Travis Stakes. We were more excited than the winners,” Kennedy said. “Then the Livamol topped it off.

“She ran the race of her life and we thought she had run fourth and we were over the moon, when they called her in third and we were jumping up and down. You’d have thought we had won. What a thrill to get that Group One placing.”

Endean Rose suffered a minor setback after the Livamol Classic, but it hasn’t affected her Zabeel Classic build-up.

“She had a couple of little issues but she’s over them now,” Kennedy said. “She had a stone bruise and got over it quickly.

Endean Rose will have a change of rider on Saturday with regular hoop Cameron Lammas already committed to another runner. His replacement is Danielle Johnson.

“Danielle hasn’t ridden her before, but she has ridden a couple of winners for us,” Kennedy said. “She’ll handle her well. She’s not a hard horse to ride.”