Imperatriz headed home for a spell
Ten-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) is heading home to New Zealand for a spell with her spring options as yet undecided. “We’ll have everything open. … It just depends on what sort of deal we get offered,” Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis said, referring to The Everest.
Imperatriz | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She’s come through really well. She’s on the flight home tomorrow. We’re very proud of her and watching the replay again this morning, she didn’t have much luck. … The horse that’s rate the second best in the world and the best sprinter in the world and we’re just so proud to have been able to buy her.”
Imperatriz’s fourth placing in the G1 TJ Smith S. took her record to 19 wins and four placings from 27 starts with earnings over $6.9million.
Bold Bastille aimed at Showdown
Team Hayes will aim their 2-year-old filly Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau) at the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush at Bendigo on Saturday which will be followed by the $1 million The Showdown at Caulfield two weeks later. “We wanted to keep her away from the wet, but there's also great prize money on offer, so there was no reason to head to Sydney with The Showdown in our sights,” Will Hayes said.
“We can't fault her, and she's risen to every challenge we've given her. She has that electric turn of foot, so we've never held her up. We've always wanted to see that speed, so we've picked out the races that we've placed her in so far.”
Bold Bastille has won three of her four starts, all at Listed level, with earnings over $540,000.
Lady Of Camelot heads to Percy Sykes
After being scratched from the G1 Sires’ Produce S. due to the rainfall, G1 Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) will head to the G2 Percy Sykes S. instead. “She'll run in the Percy Sykes,” co-trainer Adrian Bott told Racingandsports.com.au.
“A testing 1400-metres, we just felt she has done enough this preparation, we didn't want to do anything wrong by her. She's too valuable. We obviously had to make the call at that stage prior to seeing the conditions on the day but it was probably a bit easier to make with a race like the Percy Sykes just around the corner for her as well.”
Geelong Cup winner heads to Sydney Cup
Trainer Phillip Stokes will bring his stayer Amade (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) north for the G1 Sydney Cup on Saturday. “He's going really well, he's ready to go,” Stokes told Racing.com.
Amade (Ire) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Amade ran fourth in the G2 Adelaide Cup at his last start, a strong effort after jockey Zac Spain lost his irons early in the race.
Skybird to resume with Sangster aims
Trainer Mitch Freedman will run his 3-year-old filly Skybird (Exosphere) on Saturday in preparation for a South Australian campaign. “She’ll have to carry a bit of weight at Bendigo, but it’s really a buildup run to get her to Adelaide second-up in either the Euclase or the Sangster, that’s what we’re thinking with her at the moment,” Freedman told Racing.com.
Skybird won her first three starts in succession in the spring including the G2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic, before running third in the G1 One Thousand Guineas. She hasn’t raced since. An Inglis Classic graduate from the HP Thoroughbreds draft, she was purchased by Mitch Freedman Racing for $110,000.
Nathan Berry medal tally
At the halfway point of the two day Nathan Berry medal, three jockeys hold equal first place with four points; Blake Shinn, James McDonald, and Damian Lane.
The point score is determined on a 3-2-1 basis* across the eagerly anticipated 10 Group races as well as the Finals of the Country and Provincial Championships, with the winner announced at the completion of Day 2 of The Championships (Saturday 13 April).
Lucky Sweynesse wins Sprint Cup
Multiple Group 1 winner Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) hadn’t won since the G1 Hong Kong Sprint in December 2023, with both his starts this autumn being ordinary by his standards, but he overcame doubts to win the G2 Sprint Cup on Sunday evening.
Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
He now has 16 wins from 23 starts.
New juvenile winner for The Mission
2-year-old filly Mishani Fire (The Mission) gave her sire a new juvenile winner on Sunday at the Sunshine Coast. The filly was having her fifth start for trainer Les Ross and was ridden by James Orman.
She is the first winner from The Mission’s third crop.
Wellington Boot meeting nominations close Monday and Tuesday
The two day Wellington Boot meeting will be held on Friday and Sunday, with fans able to arrive via the Lachlan Valley Railway ‘Wellington Boot Train’ which runs from Orange taking an hour and a half for the journey. “It starts with Friday’s meeting that features the ($40,000) Iron Horse over 2400 metres,” Wellington Race Club’s president, Peter Barton told Racingnsw.com.au.
“Then on Saturday there is a big golf Ambrose Tournament at Wellington Golf Club. On Saturday night we run a Cup Calcutta at Wellington RSL with a big TAB presence featuring giveaways with a live band afterwards.”
Nominations for Friday 12th April that includes the $40,000 Iron Horse, 2400m and $30,000 Country Boosted Handicap, 1000m close at 11am on Monday 8th April. Nominations for Sunday 14th April that includes the $200,000 Wellington Boot, 1000m and $100,000 Wellington Cup, 1700m (*Big Dance qualifying event) close at 11am on Tuesday 9th April.
Top priced yearling grabs first Group 1
Sierra Leone (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) won the 100th running of the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. on Saturday afternoon. The 3-year-old colt is now on of the top contenders for the G1 Kentucky Derby. “We're just trying to maintain pretty much the way he's been his whole life, a special horse,” trainer Chad Brown told TDN.
Sierra Leone (USA) | Image courtesy of the Kentucky Derby
The US$2.3-million (AU$) topper from the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, he has now won three of his four starts and is owned by Coolmore Stud with partners. The only Gun Runner in the Inglis Easter Sale goes through on Monday morning, Lot 332.
Stronghold beats favourite to win Santa Anita Derby
Rick and Sharon Waller's Stronghold (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA}) outbattled even-money favorite Imagination (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) through the final eighth of a mile to take Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby, earning 100 points towards the GI Kentucky Derby.
“We thought we needed a top three performance to get to the Kentucky Derby,” winning trainer Phil D'Amato said. Stronghold is a fourth-generation homebred for the Waller family.
Alva Star wins Madison
Dale Ladner's 4-year-old mare Alva Starr (Lord Nelson) won the G1 Madison S. on Saturday. A homebred for her owner, she is the first Group 1 winner for her dam whose four foals to race are all stakes winners.
In 2011 Ladner paid US$30,000 (AU$) for a first-crop filly from the first crop of Into Mischief at the Breeders' Sales Company of Louisiana's September Yearling Sale. Named Sittin At the Bar, she would go on to win 11 of 19 starts–nine in stakes company–and over $700,000 while under the care of Brett Brinkman. As a broodmare, her first foal is Listed winner Club Car (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}), her second foal is Listed winner Jack The Umpire (USA) (Bodemeister {USA}), her third foal is Group 2 winner Cilla (USA) (California Chrome {USA}) and Alva Star is her fourth foal.
Resilience into Kentucky Derby
3-year-old colt Resilience (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) is into the G1 Kentucky Derby after winning a dramatic G2 Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct on Saturday. “My father's (Marty Wygod) dedication and love for the thoroughbred industry has spanned multiple years and Resilience is the product of a broodmare line he has nurtured and it is so exciting to see him succeed at this level,” part-owner Emily Bushnell told TDN.
Resilience (USA) | Image courtesy of the Kentucky Derby
The race was marred by a spill in the stretch when the Uriah St Lewis owned/trained-longshot Deposition (USA) (Constitution {USA}) appeared to clip heels while racing in traffic and fell. Deposition stood up under his own power and walked onto the equine ambulance and was transported to the Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists clinic for further evaluation. Jockey Dexter Haddock was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
South African Derby goes to Purple Pitcher
The G1 South African Derby was won by Purple Pitcher (SAF) (New Pitcher) conquering the 2450 metres for trainer Robyn Klaasen and jockey Kabelo Matsunyane.
He took his record to seven wins from 12 starts and had won the G1 South African Classic at his last start. His sire is an Australian born son of New Approach (Ire) who was a dual Group 2 winner in South Africa.
Gimme A Nother unbeaten with second Group 1
A decision to sidestep a possible SA Triple Tiara crown for the G1 Empress Club S. paid off as 3-year-old filly Gimme A Nother (SAF) (Gimmethegreenlight) stayed unbeaten. The daughter of Champion Sire Gimmethegreenlight, a son of More Than Ready, has now won all her seven starts including the G1 South African Fillies Classic.
“I went positive from her draw and with the sticky going I didn’t want to be too far back. She went through her gears and won well,” jockey JP van der Merwe told sportingpost.co.za
Royal Victory wins G1 Premier’s Champions Challenge
South Africa’s G1 Premier’s Champions Challenge S. was won by 4-year-old entire Royal Victory (SAF) (Pathfork {USA}) in his second Group 1 victory this season after winning the G1 Summer Cup two starts prior.
Bred by Ambiance Stud, Royal Victory is by Ridgemont’s Distorted Humor stallion Pathfork. A R90 000 buy off the National Yearling Sale, Royal Victory has now won 5 races with 7 places from 17 starts, for stakes of R4 845 250.
Redoute’s Choice son sires G1 Computaform Sprint winner
4-year-old entire Thunderstruck (SAF) (Rafeef) won his second Group 1 on Saturday in the G1 Computaform Sprint to become the fourth winner in the race for trainer Sean Tarry. “He could make a stallion one day,” owner Mary Slack told sportingpost.co.za.
Previously a Group 1 winner at two, Thunderstruck now has seven wins from 17 wins. His sire Rafeef won the same race and is an Australian born son of Redoute’s Choice.
Group 2 quinella for Daiwa Major
Pensioned Shadai Stallion Station resident Daiwa Major (Jpn) sired the first two home in the G2 New Zealand Trophy S. over 1600 metres at Nakayama on Saturday, with Ecoro Bloom (Jpn) edging filly Bond Girl (Jpn) by three-quarters of a length.
Daiwa Major (Jpn) | Standing at Shadai Stallion Station
The winner is the 47th stakes winner for his sire, who was pensioned in 2023.
