I’munstoppable too quick in Matamata return

[Wandering Eyes]

Speedy mare I’munstoppable (NZ) (Charm Spirit ) never gave her rivals a look in as she maintained a powerful gallop in front throughout to capture the Colchester Engineering Ltd (1200m) on her home track at Matamata.

The former Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) winner hadn’t been seen on raceday for nearly 300 days after finishing last of eleven at Te Rapa back in December last year.

Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott backed off her when she didn’t come up as well as they would have liked for an autumn campaign and that worked nicely in her favour as she made her spring debut on Saturday with two soft trial runs in August under her belt.

A noted pacemaker, the daughter of Charm Spirit pinged away from the starting gates and made every post a winner as visiting Australian apprentice Sage Duric used her 4kg claim to good effect in having her mount clear of her rivals by nearly five lengths rounding the home bend.

With Duric sitting as quiet as a church mouse, I’munstoppable never looked like being caught as she hit the finishing line still more than four lengths to the good of Moneypenny (NZ) (Proisir) and Latrelle (NZ) (Redwood) on the testing Heavy10 surface.

Scott explained the circumstances of her long break away from racing which included a false start to her new campaign just a week ago.

“We brought her back last autumn and she just wasn’t there,” Scott said.

“She was off in her coat so we gave her a long break. We had her in last Saturday (at Te Rapa) where she was ready to go, but she banged her leg and we had to pull her out.

“That was a great ride from young Sage as we said hug the rail and stay right in as there is a quick lane there.

“She (I’munstoppable) held a strong gallop and you have to remember she won the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes which takes a good horse to win.

“We hope to find a couple of nice races like this for her before Christmas, as with some give in the ground she is going to win a few more.”

Duric, the daughter of Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) winning rider Vlad Duric, was all smiles as she brought up her first win at her seventh ride in New Zealand.

“She was a little bit keen in front and I thought we might be going a little bit too quick, but to her credit she travelled the whole way for me and never came off the bridle,” she said.

“She obviously loves the ground and with the 4kgs off she was very hard to beat.

“She always travelled and was happy where she was. I knew it would be hard to make up ground on that track and she proved too good.”

Bred and raced by John MacLachlan and his wife Julie-Anne, I’munstoppable is out of their Rip Van Winkle mare Sisterella (NZ), who is a daughter of Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m) placegetter Arabian Nights (NZ).

She has now won four of her twelve starts and more than $122,000 in prizemoney.

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