Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
After a short hiatus over Christmas, the trials resumed in Sydney on Thursday with five heats for the 2-year-olds at Warwick Farm. Trainer Annabel Neasham had three winners among them, while Matthew Dunn saddled a winner in the well-bred colt Emperor (I Am Invincible).
This youngster is the fourth foal from Jolie Bay (Fastnet Rock), who is a full sister to Coolmore resident Merchant Navy. It’s a family that has been nurtured for a long time by Toowoomba breeders Jane and Chris Barham, and all from the couple’s foundation mare Legally Bay (Snippets).
Jolie Bay when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Jolie Bay was the second filly from Legally Bay and a winner of the G2 Roman Consul S. during her career. She is one of three stakes winners produced by her brilliant dam, alongside her full siblings Merchant Navy and Setanta (Fastnet Rock).
For the Barhams, it’s a family that has kept on giving.
Two-year-old Emperor is a half-brother to the twice stakes-placed God Of Thunder (More Than Ready {USA}), who was second to Miss Leonidas (I Am Invincible) in the G2 Caulfield Sprint.
Emperor has had only one start to date, a third in the G3 Breeders’ Plate at Randwick in October, but he has trialled twice for two wins.
Emperor trialling at Warwick Farm | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“Every season, we have one or two black types from this family and we pinch ourselves,” Jane Barham said, speaking to TDN AusNZ. “We can hardly believe what it’s achieved sometimes.”
Early obstacles
Emperor (initially named Genghis Khan) was consigned by the Barhams to the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Emperor as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
However, very early in his prep at Segenhoe Stud, the colt got colic and spent time at Scone Equine Hospital. As a result, he was instead put into the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and, had he not put a hindleg through a fence, he would have made very considerable money.
“This horse has had so many setbacks in his life,” Barham said. “But he’s got such a good attitude. He’s so tough. In his short life, he’s gone through significant things that most horses his age wouldn’t have gone through, and he’s come through them to be where he is today.”
“In his short life, he’s (Emperor) gone through significant things that most horses his age wouldn’t have gone through, and he’s come through them to be where he is today.” - Jane Barham
Emperor’s hock wound was decent, so decent that it wiped a substantial amount of money off his sale price. When he might have been a million-dollar yearling, he sold to Matthew Dunn and Neil Jenkinson for $460,000.
“When Matt bought him, he was so excited and so grateful to be able to get a horse like him,” Barham said. “He said that ordinarily he’d never be able to afford a horse like that, and he asked us to stay in for 10 per cent, which we did. We brought in several friends with us and we’re really excited about him now.”
Slipper talk
Emperor races in the Barhams’ yellow and blue colours and, on Thursday, he was quickly away from his barrier with jockey Sam Clipperton.
The pair coasted alongside pace-setter Nonshalaant (Shalaa {Ire}) and, into the straight, they eased away comfortably without any horse bothering them.
Emperor won the 818-metre trial by 1.36l to Nonshalaant, with the Harron colt Zambezi River (I Am Invincible) 2.6l to third. The final time was 48.19s, the last 600 metres in 33.96s, which made it not only the fastest trial among the juvenile colts and geldings, but the fastest overall juvenile trial of the morning.
“I thought he’d overworked a little bit today, but Matt didn’t,” Barham said. “Matt thought he settled right down, whereas I thought he was on the bridle the whole time. But this horse has got such an amazing attitude about everything, and it gave us goosebumps to watch his trial this morning.”
“...this horse (Emperor) has got such an amazing attitude about everything, and it gave us goosebumps to watch his trial this morning.” - Jane Barham
Barham said the next obvious target for Emperor was the R. Listed Inglis Millennium in early February. Thereafter, there are Golden Slipper ambitions, even if the Barhams are not inclined to count their chickens so early.
“Matt says he wants to win a lead-up race and then into the Slipper, but it all just flows off your tongue this early,” she said. “We know things don’t always happen that way, but it did for Legally Bay. She won the Sweet Embrace and was then into the Slipper, so I guess you never know.”
Upcoming sales horses
The Barhams have every excuse to expect good things from Emperor. The colt is already Group-placed and he’s got a stout family on both sides.
In a few weeks’ time, the full sister to both Jolie Bay and Merchant Navy, Zara Bay (Fastnet Rock), will have a Shalaa (Ire) filly in the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Lot 707 - Shalaa (Ire) x Zara Bay (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Lot 707 is a very tidy filly in the draft of Segenhoe Stud (on which all the Barham mares reside), and she is a half-sister to the cutely named Saucey Horsey (So You Think {NZ}), who is with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and on whom plenty of promise has landed.
Additionally, Emperor’s half-sister, a filly by Zoustar, will head to the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Ordinarily the Barhams wouldn’t sell their fillies, but Jolie Bay foaled another Zoustar filly in October, which will be retained. The mare went back to Zoustar this spring.
“She’s kept having these beautiful horses to Zoustar, so we’ve gone back to him again,” Barham said.
Remaining trial winners
Across the remainder of Warwick Farm's five juvenile trials on Thursday, Godolphin had a winner for its New Zealand shuttler Ribchester (Ire) in the 2-year-old filly Plymstock. This youngster is a half-sister to the dual Group 1-winning gelding Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}).
Annabel Neasham’s trio of trial winners came in the form of Smart Vengeance (Smart Missile) and Mumbai Jewel (I Am Invincible) among the fillies, and among the colts there was Sweet Ride (Deep Field).
Smart Vengeance was a $70,000 purchase at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, consigned by Twin Hills Stud and sold to the large all-female ownership syndicate Stiletto Sprinters. Mumbai Jewel, meanwhile, went for a deal more. She cost Neasham and Brian McGuire $575,000 from the draft of Coolmore Stud.
Gallery: Some of the trial winners as yearlings
Sweet Ride was a 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, though not raced by the training pair. The colt was consigned by Widden Stud and sold for $320,000, and he competes in the colours of Vieira Racing.
