Petrucci makes stylish return

[Wandering Eyes]

Petrucci made the perfect start to her preparation at her home track of Matamata on Saturday when taking out the Colchester Engineering LTD (1200m).

The daughter of I Am Invincible was resuming following a pleasing three-year-old season where she won two of her four starts and was runner-up in the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) in her final outing last term.

Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson were pleased with what they saw from their mare first-up.

“Vinnie (Colgan, jockey) managed to get her settled well enough, he presented her at the right time and she was really strong through the line,” Bergerson said.

“It was a really impressive victory. We thought she could be a bit vulnerable first-up, but it was a really strong effort.”

Colgan was similarly impressed with Petrucci’s 1-3/4 length victory.

“I drew badly (12), but things panned out quite nicely over the first furlong and a half (250m) and she ended up getting quite a nice run,” Colgan said.

“I wanted to get her rolling and she was running through the line pretty strongly. She showed a bit last season and I think they were expecting a good run today.”

Petrucci was purchased by owners Brent, Cherry Taylor and Faith Taylor of Trelawney Stud, for A$450,000 out of Segenhoe Stud’s 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft, with a view to proving herself on the racetrack before retiring to their high-quality broodmare band.

“She matured nicely for the break. We’ve raced a few of these I Am Invincible fillies and mares and not many of them are early maturing two-year-old types,” Brent Taylor said.

“Most of them are progressive mares, like the stablemate Imperatriz, in Melbourne at the moment, and Vamos Bebe of ours who had her best years at four and five.

“Hopefully this mare will progress along similar lines and as a speed mare, can keep finding the right races for her. It may be that we don’t see the best of her until next season, who knows.

“I was pretty impressed with her win as she had to overcome the draw, and Vinnie rode her very well.”

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