Imperatriz to kick on in autumm in OZ

[Chief Stipe]

Horse racing: Aussie rematch for pair of top Kiwi mares

www.nzherald.co.nz

Two of the speed queens of New Zealand racing are to continue their Group 1 rivalry but over 2600km from their recent clashes.

 

Railway and BCD Sprint winner Imperatriz is likely heading from Sydney to Melbourne to target the A$1 million William Reid Stakes at The Valley on March 24 and waiting for her there will be Babylon Berlin.

 

The Cambridge mare was second to Imperatriz in both of her great sprint victories at Te Rapa over the summer before obliterating depleted opposition back to Group 3 level at Te Rapa on Saturday, winning by over a full second from Packing Rockstar in her seven-length romp.

 

Now the two mares are taking their summer rivalry to what used to be Moonee Valley for the Friday night feature over 1200m, both chasing the Australian Group 1 that could add at least $1 million to their future broodmare worth.

 

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Imperatriz went within inches of getting that at Randwick on Saturday before being sling-shotted by Artorius in the Canterbury Stakes. There is no shame in that, as the fresh-up four-year-old has world class sprint form and divebombed the Kiwi mare before she saw him coming.

 

Trainer Mark Walker says while Imperatriz will need to do everything right in the next few days, the Melbourne race is her new target.

 

“Obviously we would love to get a Group 1 with her over there and we are still pretty gutted we didn’t pull it off on Saturday,” says Walker.

 

“We want to stick to sprints with her and another reason we are looking at the William Reid is, all going well, we would like to target the Manikato back at The Valley in the spring with her and this could give her experience at The Valley. So this race fits for a lot of reasons.”

 

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Babylon Berlin’s jump-and-don’t-wait racing style looks ideally suited to 1200m around The Valley and trainer Ben Foote jokes she has to beat Imperatriz one day, or in this case, one night.

 

While both mares will be up against it, taking on the Australian sprint stars in the William Reid, the form of Roch ‘N’ Horse, Levante and now Imperatriz in the last 12 months has proven as imposing and hyped as the Australian sprinters are, they are not unbeatable.

 

Imperatriz may have her next major target all but confirmed but Walker is experiencing plenty of comings and goings from other huge names in his mega stable with big implications for futures betting markets.

 

Last season’s champion juvenile Mavem Belle is out of next week’s Levin Classic, for which she was favourite, after pulling up lame when fourth at Te Rapa on Saturday.

 

“I don’t think it is anything serious but we will know more after she has had a week off, so she is definitely out of the Trentham race,” Walker told the Herald.

 

Wild Night, who at one time shared Levin Classic favouritism with his stablemate, likely won’t be seen until next season, as he had bone chip surgery after failing at Otaki last week, while Cognito, who was also in the Levin Classic market, is another heading to the paddock.

 

Leaving the stable but on a permanent basis are last season’s New Zealand Oaks quinella-mates of Belle En Rouge and Self Obsession, both of whom have been retired to guaranteed commercial broodmare careers.

 

“They are both lovely mares and it has been a real pleasure to train them,” says Walker.

 

Even with a float load of stars leaving the stable, Walker still has some serious equine firepower to aim at Auckland Cup day at Pukekohe this Saturday.

 

Unbeaten juvenile Tokyo Tycoon returns to the track where he so dramatically won the Karaka Million for the Sistema Stakes, with his KM runner-up Ethereal Star his greatest danger in the first juvenile Group 1 of the season.

 

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Opie Bosson will ride Tokyo Tycoon, as his Karaka Million-winning jockey Craig Zackey has returned to South Africa.

 

Walker will also have Campionessa in the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes, backing up from her second to Sharp ‘N’ Smart in the Herbie Dyke at Te Rapa on February 11.

 

This time, she meets another outstanding three-year-old in Prowess, while Matamata mare La Crique is also confirmed for the Bonecrusher.