Saturday summary: Ozzmosis blitzes Coolmore rivals

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Zoustar extends family heritage as Ozzmosis upsets Coolmore

Facing G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Shinzo (Snitzel), this year’s The Everest fifth Cylinder (Exceed And Excel) and a host of other well-credentialled peers, Ozzmosis (Zoustar) was marked at $18 for this year’s G1 Coolmore Stud S., despite having won three of his four starts. However, the Bjorn Baker-trained colt blew them away to provide a huge result for some prominent backers of the horse.

“We think he has huge upside,” Henry Field told The Thoroughbred Report back in June, after a Newgate/China Horse Club-led syndicate bought into the then unbeaten son of Zoustar. Bred by China Horse Club, he was sold to Darby Racing, via Sledmere Stud, for $250,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

At that point he’d won his two juvenile starts by a combined 3.25l margin, and Field tipped the Coolmore Stud S. as a spring target. That prescience is impressive, though the consequence of victory with a colt in the race is easier to explain.

Stallion-wise, the race has in recent years been won by the likes of Home Affairs, Exceedance, Merchant Navy and Flying Artie. But it’s the influence of Encosta De Lago that really stands out in the race’s history. A winner in 1996, Encosta De Lago would produce two further winners - Alinghi and Northern Meteor - the latter of course responsible for Zoustar.

Following Sunlight’s victory in 2018, Zoustar now has two winners of the race, having won it himself in 2013. The Widden Stud resident now has his first heir apparent in the pipeline, Ozzmosis being the only entire among his now-six Group 1 winners.

"He's a good colt,” declared Baker. “We've got a couple of the smartest people in racing in him and it starts with Scott Darby, he's a superstar.”

Leading from start to finish in a typically brave Bjorn Baker/Rachel King combination, the trainer defined Ozzmosis’ 1.25l victory over I Am Unstoppable (I Am Invincible) as “career-changing”. Whilst I Am Unstoppable carried the G2 Danehill S. form into the race (in which he was second), Shinzo finished 0.2l further away in third, and there was a 1l gap back to last-start Listed Gothic S. winner Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel {Ire}) in fourth.

A fifth elite-level winner for British-born jockey Rachel King, winning the Coolmore on a classy colt went straight to the top of the pile in her estimation.

“To do it for Bjorn and the team, he's just my biggest supporter, especially these owners as well, I'm speechless,” she said.

“I had to take a second look when I was at the 300 metres, he was travelling that well. Today's the first day I've ridden him where I haven't had to put pressure on him early because up the straight just made it easier for him.”

Waller goes back-to-back in Victoria Derby with American Pharoah’s Riff Rocket

Whilst the only other contemporary US Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) has been enjoying a Breeders’ Cup juvenile double, American Pharoah (USA) was not to be left out of this weekend’s elite-level action.

Landing his first Southern Hemisphere Group 1 winner - now the sire of eight elite-level scorers overall - American Pharoah’s Riff Rocket was an ultra-game winner of this year’s G1 Victoria Derby in a desperate finish.

After closing down Sunsets (Dundeel {NZ}) in the straight, Riff Rocket fended off a closing Apulia (Fiorente {Ire}) by just a nose in a photo finish, James McDonald thereby denying a Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Group 1 winner for the second weekend in a row after Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) edged out Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) in the Cox Plate.

"It was a real test of stamina, I think the three best horses came away and it would've been a great spectacle to watch,” McDonald said, before terming himself “blessed” in recent photo finishes.

Whilst McDonald was taking the race for the first time, it was a second consecutive victory for Champion Trainer Chris Waller, whose Manzoice (Almanzor {Fr}) won the race last year.

“I guess, coming in to today, no one’s sure if they stay the 2500 (metres),” Waller’s Assistant Trainer Charlie Duckworth said. “It will mean a massive amount to Woppitt Bloodstock.

“It’s called Derby Day and this is the Group 1 you want to be winning on the day.”

“The owners… have been huge supporters,” Duckworth added. “They’ve been with Chris (Waller) for 15 years now.”

From the third crop of Coolmore’s former shuttler, Riff Rocket is a homebred for the Kepitis family’s Woppitt Bloodstock. The operation has enjoyed a fruitful spring, including the breakthrough stakes victory for 3-year-old filly Mumbai Muse (Zoustar) in the Listed Brian Crowley S. and Fangirl (Sebring), also a homebred under the family’s Ingham Racing banner, who secured her third Group 1 win in last month’s King Charles III S.

Japanese strike in Golden Eagle

The Japanese-bred Obamburumai (Jpn) (Discreet Cat {USA}) became the first internationally-trained galloper to win the $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill on Saturday.

The Keiji Yoshimmura-trained 4-year-old was lining up for start six having won the G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. at Tokyo in May before embarking to Sydney, Australia to contest the race for 4-year-olds.

Ridden by, Joshua Parr, Obamburumai came from the clouds on the inside to defeat the Godolphin-trained and-owned pair of Pericles (Street Boss {USA}) and Golden Mile (Astern).

Winning trainer Yoshimmura told 7HorseRacing through a translator, “I had so much confidence and we were very focused on getting Obamburumai ready for this race today (Saturday).

“I have never screamed so loud after a race in my life. It was a perfect ride by Joshua Parr, he took some time before the race to lay out the tactics.”

Winning rider Parr added, “My voice is breaking up. I've been roaring the last few minutes. What a moment this is in my career and my life. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to pick this ride up from Yutaka Take. Obviously, it doesn’t sit right with me, Yutaka couldn't come to Australia because of an injury but I was Johnny on the spot.

“I produced one of my better rides to get the victory and I’m just speechless. Obamburumai is one hell of an animal. My mum rang me last night to ask what she can expect, and I told, “I’m pretty sure he’s the best horse I’ve sat upon but he’s going to need a lot of luck - he got lucky, and he showed his ability.”

Obamburumai is from the Deep Impact (Jpn) mare Pink Gerbera (Jpn), who is from the family of the G1 Florida Derby and G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile victor Unbridled’s Song (USA).

Furthermore, this is the extended family of Lucky Pulpit (USA), the sire of the superstar California Chrome (USA).

One of the Golden Eagle’s leading fancies Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) had minimal luck and according to her trainer Simon Miller and jockey Damian Lane was lucky to stay on her feat.

Lane reported after the race, “Glad I came back in the jockey’s room alive.”

While Miller said after the race, “I thought how good this is, the gap was opening and we’re going to strike and then we just got poleaxed from inside and outside.

“Lane reported to me that he couldn’t believe Amelia’s Jewel was still on her feet. He sat up on her and her action felt great, so Lane asked her again for effort and she came late.

“I was surprised I didn’t see any war wounds on her. There are some options in Perth but we will just monitor Amelia’s Jewel and make sure she hasn’t strained or torn a muscle or anything.

“It’s been a great journey. We've won two Group 2s’.”

Jenni’s barnstorming in Empire Rose

There were shades of Lasqueti Spirit’s (Beneteau) front-running rampage in the 2016 G1 VRC Oaks in Saturday’s G1 Empire Rose S.

Fortune favours the brave, and the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) is as brave as they come. Ridden by Declan Bates, the 6-year-old went to her customary leading position through the 1600-metre contest, as they turned into the vast Flemington straight Pride Of Jenni had a commanding margin over the rest of the field. However, it is no easy feat lasting the entire straight, the mare under Bates had to use all her mettle and bravery to win by a 1l from Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) and Life Lessons (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).

Maher told Racing.com, “Pride Of Jenni has done this quite a few times. Usually only once a preparation and when the race at The Valley (Stocks S.) was run at such a brutal pace she probably wasn’t at her best the following start.

“The team has done a super job with and ticked her over. Dec Bates (Declan) has a great affinity with her and it was a daring ride but that’s what she likes.

“It’s tough to race that way but it’s the best way for her and if any mare deserves a Group 1 it’s Pride Of Jenni.”

The daughter of Pride Of Dubai has won four races and has been placed in the G1 Coolmore Classic and the G2 Rose Of Kingston S. prior to Saturday’s Empire Rose success.

Pride Of Jenni is from the O’Reilly (NZ) mare Sancerre (NZ), a daughter of the G1 Queensland Oaks victress Vouvray (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).

The mare was a $100,000 purchase by Cape Schanck Stud from the draft of Segenhoe Stud at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. Pride Of Jenni is owned by Tony Ottobre and his family.

The horses raced by Ottobre and family are named after his daughter Jenni Ottobre, who died of brain cancer in 2015.

Pride Of Jenni is the third individual Group 1 winner for Pride Of Dubai and his 20th overall stakes winner.