Confesara scores sentimental win on Champions Day

[Wandering Eyes]

This year’s Champions Day was one to remember for Kingsclere Stables.

The Cambridge barn scored the quinella in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), won the Gr.3 King’s Plate (1200m) with Sweynesday, and earlier in the day picked up a sentimental victory for stable owners Ali and Graeme Andrews.

Ali’s father recently passed away, and jockey George Rooke donned a black armband to pay respect when jumping aboard Confesara (Toronado) ahead of the Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy (1500m), and the pair got the perfect result.

They travelled midfield with cover before tracking Rock Ice into the race around the final bend. Rooke found a gap inside the Shaun and Emma Clotworthy-trained runner and Confesara shot through it and chased down the leaders to pip Burnerphone at the post to win by a short head.

“I thought that was a serious win because they went hard early and just really pulled up and I thought it was going to be really hard to make up ground, but she knuckled down and fair credit to her,” said Robert Wellwood, who trains the filly in partnership with Roger James.

“Ali, who owns the horse, her father passed away, so it is massive to have the black armband on to remember him, and they will be able to remember this as a good day forever.”

Confesara has now won two and placed in four of her seven starts to date, including running third to Belle Cheval in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) in January, and Wellwood believes the daughter of Toronado has a bright future.

“I think she is going to perhaps even be better going further. She is a filly with a lot of ability, it was a class effort,” he said.

“I think she is a Group horse and if she can make it to a Group One horse that would be wonderful. She is going to be better next year, she is a big filly, she is still yet to develop, but we will just enjoy this and look forward to where she goes next.

“She has done a fair bit of racing but to be fair she is holding condition, she looks very well.”

Bred by Leneva Park, Confesara is a daughter of winning Redoute’s Choice mare Absolution, a half-sister to stakes performers Excused and Show Me Mercy.

She was offered through Sullivan Bloodstock’s 2024 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft where she was purchased by the Andrews for A$85,000. She has now accrued more than $105,000 in prizemoney to date.

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