Atishu to sign off with Group 1 title defence

[Wandering Eyes]

Atishu (NZ) ridden by James McDonald wins the Champions Stakes at Flemington. Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos

After 10 wins, more than $4 million in stakes and three seasons of putting Go Racing’s name in lights in Australia, the Kiwi syndicators’ remarkable ride with Atishu is set to come to an end in Saturday’s Group 1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

The dual Group 1 winner will be offered during next month’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast, bringing the curtain down on an outstanding racetrack career in the blue and white colours of Go Racing.

Offered by her breeders Waikato Stud as a yearling at Karaka in 2019, the daughter of Savabeel was bought by Go Racing for $260,000.

She has turned that into no less than A$4.17 million through the five years since then, with 10 wins and 13 placings from a 40-race career.

Atishu started out in the Cambridge stable of Stephen Marsh, winning four races as a three-year-old including the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) and Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m).

But the defining stage of her career came when she crossed the Tasman and joined the stable of expat Kiwi trainer Chris Waller.

From 31 starts in Australia, Atishu has recorded six wins, headed by Group 1 triumphs in last year’s Queen of the Turf Stakes and the A$3 million Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in November.

She also won the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m), Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) and Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m), while her stakes placings include the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) in November and a last-start third in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) on March 30.

The Go Racing team are hoping for a special swansong in Sydney on Saturday.

Atishu will be ridden by Blake Shinn and is rated a $5 second favourite on the bookmakers final field market behind stablemate Zougotcha ($3.60).

“She’s been a terrific mare and has given us all some huge thrills along the way,” Go Racing manager Matt Allnutt said.

“It’s been an amazing ride, and it would be a real fairy tale if she could sign off with one more big Group 1 performance at Randwick this weekend.

“Chris and his team have been really happy with her in the last few weeks. She’s come through the Australian Cup beautifully and galloped well this week. They couldn’t be happier with her.”

Allnutt admits there will be mixed feelings as one of Go Racing’s biggest success stories draws to a close.

“It’s going to be quite an emotional day,” he said.

“She’s done so much for us over these last few years and sustained a long and very high-quality career.

“She gave us the odd heart murmur with her behaviour in the starting gates early in her career in Australia, but it’s a real credit to Chris Waller and his team that they got her through that. A lot of people don’t realise that she wasn’t a Group 1 winner until after she went through all of that, so it’s amazing what Chris has been able to achieve with her. We’ll always be grateful.”

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