| Superstar sprinting mare Imperatriz won a ninth Group One race and led home a Magic Millions sold trifecta in today’s $1 million Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington. |
| Sent out the rock solid favourite with bookmakers at $1.60, Imperatriz sat just off the surprise leader Private Eye for much of the race before striking the front close to home and edging away for a narrow, but strong win. Private Eye ($5) refused to lay down and ran a sensational second placing, just a head from the winner, while Espiona ($26) caught the eye charging home late to complete the Magic Millions sold 1-2-3 result. Imperatriz was first up since winning the Group One Champions Sprint in November and in winning put to bed any doubts about her form following a soft trial at Cranbourne recently. “Oh well, good horses they probably save their best for race day,” trainer Mark Walker said. “It was a lacklustre trial, it really was, but when we galloped her on Monday we were really happy with her.” “Just a gun ride by Opie today. It was a really tactical affair and he used the initiative but it is a relief!” “She’s a gem, really, to do it in the spring and come back and win like that. Full credit to the second horse.” “He (Private Eye) is a really good horse and he stuck it to her today so I think you saw two really good horses fight out an exciting finish.” Walker said he would let the dust settle on today’s performance before mapping out a program for the stable champion. “We’ll just get her through today and see how she is and come up with a plan going forward.” Winning rider Opie Bosson said the mare, as she always did, produced again on raceday when it mattered. “She was alway travelling beautifully and just kept creeping up and creeping up. Once I went for her late, she found that kick that she always has.” “She’s a race day horse and she’s proven that. Like myself, I don’t really like going to the trials either.” “There was a bit (of pressure) because of that trial but Mark has been over here and said she’s 100% and when he says that, he’s right.” “I had about ten plans, really, but the plan was if she jumped well to not pull her back and let her slide up where she is happy and get into her own rhythm. I didn’t expect Private Eye to lead.” “Every time I gave her a little squeeze she’d come underneath me and she changed legs at the right time and when I really had to got for it I knew she had that bit extra and she pulled away at the end.” “She is by far the best sprinter and best horse I’ve ridden,” Bosson summed up. A daughter of Yarraman Park Stud’s resident champion sire I Am Invincible, Imperatriz is one of two winners for dam Berimbau. She was bred by Raffles Dancer (NZ) Pty Ltd and sold through the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft for $360,000 at the 2020 Gold Coast Yearling Sale to David Ellis. A winner and Sydney placegetter at two, Berimbau (Shamardal) trained on at three to earn black type with a third place in the Group Two Moonee Valley Fillies Classic. At stud, as well as Imperatriz, she has produced the triple metropolitan winner Cabaca. Berimbau, a daughter of the Encosta de Lago mare Percussive, is a half sister to the $1 million earner and fellow Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase Vinco. That multiple stakes winner is also by I Am Invincible, making him a three quarter brother to the current sprint superster. Minor placegetters and fellow Magic Millions graduates Private Eye (Al Maher) and Espiona (Extreme Choice) thrilled their connections with their respective efforts and look to have incredible campaigns ahead. Imperatriz added the cherry to what was a sensational day of success in feature races down across the Flemington and Randwick cards today. Earlier at Flemington exciting youngster Aardvark (Capitalist) produced a powerful burst in the straight to win the Listed Talindert Stakes for juveniles. Prepared by Leon and Troy Corstens, Aardvark was a $240,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for Dean Harvey’s Baystone Farm before being purchased in a private deal by James Harron after a jump out win at Flemington. Aardvark was bred and sold by Ron Gilbert’s Highgrove Stud. Later in the afternoon Revolutionary Miss (Russian Revolution) followed up her third in the Magic Millions Cup behind Semana with a strong closing win in the Group Three Frances Tressady Stakes at Flemington. A $195,000 purchase for Triple Crown Syndications from the draft of Sledmere Stud, as agent for China Horse Club, Revolutionary Miss sent her earnings to over $1.4 million with the win. Up at Randwick the Magic Millions Raceday form shone brightly for the second straight week. Magic Millions Snippets winner King of Sparta (I Am Invincible) produced his customary barnstorming finish to win the Group Two Expressway Stakes. The $700,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for his ownership group from the Yarraman Park Stud draft, the five-year-old won his eighth race and sent his prizemoney haul to over $3.39 million. And last start Magic Millions Cup winner Semana (Winning Rupert) edged out fellow Magic Millions graduate Olentia to win a competitive Group Three Triscay Stakes. The $200,000 Gold Coast buy from the Newgate Farm draft for James Bester Bloodstock and Vantage Thoroughbreds has now won seven of her 15 starts and earned over $1 million. Winner: Imperatriz Breeding: I Am Invincible-Berimbau (Shamardal) Race: VRC Lightning Stakes G1 (1000m) Sold for: $360,000 Sale: 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Earnings: $5,964,799 Breeder: Raffles Dancers (NZ) Pty Ltd Vendor: Bhima Thoroughbreds (As Agent) Buyer: DC Ellis Owners: Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM) Trainer: Mark Walker (Cranbourne) |
