Cover image by Joel Carrett courtesy of AAP Photos
While it didn’t look that promising halfway down the straight, Amangiri got herself and her trainers out of trouble to win Saturday’s G3 Chalker Accountants Hawkesbury Gold Cup.
The mare is raced by John Hawkes’ wife Jenny and Michael’s wife Claire and rider Tommy Berry was another relieved member of the winning party.
“She’s a family horse and I’m not sure if Mrs Hawkes has forgiven me for the time I got beaten on her a couple of preps ago. It’s nice to get one back, but it got a little hairy there in the straight once again,” Berry said.
He went for an inside run with Amangiri, but the leader Archdemus (Lope De Vega {Ire}) rolled in and Berry had to angle outside and his mount responded positively to double her Group tally following success in the Tesio S. at Flemington in the spring.
Amangiri was then spelled and came back to run third in the G2 Emancipation S. before she was all at sea on heavy footing when unplaced in the G1 Queen of the Turf S.
“It was a massive improvement back on top of the ground. She’d had a couple of runs to get her fitness where it needed to be and she was a lot more relaxed in the run and that helped her finish off late,” Berry said.
“She’d had a couple of runs to get her fitness where it needed to be and she was a lot more relaxed in the run and that helped her finish off late.” - Tommy Berry
“She is the sort of horse that wears her heart on her sleeve and tries very hard and sometimes too hard. It works against her at times and drawing a good gate helps her because she can get cover quickly and switches off fine.
“When she’s left without cover for a couple of hundred metres and to try and drop in when the motor has already started turning [is hard], but everything worked out fine this time. Hopefully, she can now go on to bigger and better things.”
Tommy Berry | Image by Joel Carrett courtesy of AAP Photos
Michael Hawkes said the race panned out as expected and they were happy to let Archdemus make the play in front.
“It was a deserved win for the mare and there was always a little bit of speed on paper and I know Tommy said if something wanted to go keenly he’d let it go.
“It panned out that way and coming around the corner all she needed to do was to find a bit of room, but she’s that big the gap came and it just took her a while to get going and it shut on her.
“To her credit, she actually sprinted really well and wanted to attack the line. She’s been a great mare and it’s a very deserved win.
“To her credit, she actually sprinted really well and wanted to attack the line. She’s been a great mare and it’s a very deserved win.” – Michael Hawkes
“Claire has already rung me and she was a bit teared up and it’s days like this when you want people to be here, but you have to do the right thing and we are doing the right thing.
“Tommy rode her brilliantly and it’s been a great family affair. We’re still racing and we’re all very, very happy.”
Amangiri as a yearling
Amangiri was an $80,000 purchase when offered by Kitchwin Hills at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and she is a half-sister to the two-time winner Buckhound (Sepoy).
They are out of Secret Indulgence (NZ) (Fastnet Rock), who is a half-sister to the G1 VRC Derby winner Amalfi (Carnegie {Ire}).
The family has also made a major impact in New Zealand through the inaugural Karaka Million winner Vincent Mangano (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}), Group 2 winners Antonio Lombardo (NZ) (Pins) and Joey Massino (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}).
Other notable performers in the pedigree include the G1 Greyville Premier’s Champion S. winner Gold Onyx (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe {USA}) and the G2 Makybe Diva S. winner Vigor (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), who also ran third in the G1 Caulfield Cup.
A fresh Live And Free (NZ) (Savabeel) produced a bold run for second behind Amangiri on Saturday with Another Dollar (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) turning her recent form around for third and Archdemus was fourth.
