Australian campaign up in the air for New Zealand Oaks winner Amarelinha
Savabeel filly overcomes early trouble to become super sire’s 22nd Group 1 winner
In any other year, the winning performance of Amarelinha (Savabeel) in the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) would have been overshadowed by what transpired across the Tasman and, primarily, in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in Sydney.
But yesterday, amid a record rain deluge, the early call was made to postpone the Slipper for just the second time in the two-year-old race’s history, leaving the Australasian Group 1 focus to Trentham in New Zealand and it was Te Akau’s star three-year-old who stole the show.
The second leg of a stakes double for trainer Jamie Richards and Te Akau – Need I Say More (No Nay Never) won the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) earlier on the card – Amarelinha was sent off the $1.60 favourite had a length to spare over Charms Star (Per Incanto) with another long neck back to Llanacord (Contributer) in third.
The margin, however, did not tell the whole story with jockey Opie Bosson almost dislodged when the filly jumped in the air out of the barriers.
It left Bosson to track a three-wide path leaving the straight for the first time before finding a midfield position.
“I don’t know what happened at the start as she just fell out of the barrier and he (Bosson) was lucky he stuck with her,” said Richards after winning his first Oaks.
“She sort of dropped in then he got her going, got round them and then had to drop in again.
“Full credit to Opie, though, as he rode a lovely race, found the back of the right one coming to the corner and then got going on the bend.
“She was brilliant today and is a very good filly. I’m really thrilled for everyone concerned.”
Bosson admitted to a feeling of anguish when the start did not go to plan.
“We jumped straight up in the air at the start and I thought, ‘oh no’,” he said.
“The plan was to ride her handy and we were five spots further back than I wanted to be.
“To her credit she relaxed beautifully and I had to control her turn of foot as I was going to get there (the front) too soon on her.
“She heard the other one coming and gave me some more, which is the mark of a good horse.”
The breakthrough Oaks victory made it five wins from seven starts for Amarelinha in a career that only started in November last year.
Her two defeats came against the colts and geldings, in a maiden on debut at Awapuni and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m) when second to star three-year-old Aegon (Sacred Falls).
The wet Sydney autumn makes a decision to head across to contest the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) problematic for Richards and connections.
“We’ve been to this race before and haven’t had a lot of luck so I’m glad to tick it off today,” the trainer said.
“We will have a look at Aussie, but she needs good ground so we will take her home and have a look at her before we make any further plans.”
Bred and sold by Waikato Stud, Amarelinha was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for NZ$300,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale. She is the first foal out of the unraced Hopscotch (O’Reilly), herself a sister to Sitting Pretty, the dam of Aspiration Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) winner Missybeel (Savabeel), and a three-quarter sister to Up In Lights (O’Reilly), the dam of Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed three-year-old colt North Pacific (Brazen Beau). Hopscotch is also a half-sister to four-time Group 1 winner Metal Bender (Danasinga) and the stakes-placed Southern Venture (Zabeel).
Hopscotch has three fillies, all by Savabeel (Zabeel), to follow and she is back in foal to the champion stallion this year.
Amarelinha’s now two-year-old sister was bought by Brewers Bloodstock for NZ$190,000 at last year’s NZB Karaka sale. Savabeel now is the sire of 22 individual Group 1 winners after today’s breakthrough success at the elite level for the filly.
Mount Popa on way to Caulfield Cup after Mornington spoils
Progressive import Mount Popa (Maxios) will head to the spelling paddock to make the most of the autumn weather after clinching himself a start in a spring showpiece race with a comfortable Mornington Cup (Listed, 2400m) victory yesterday,
The Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes-trained Mount Popa, who had won two of his ten starts in Europe, made it three wins from five starts since coming to Australia and is now assured of a start in the Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) in the spring after his dominant display at the Victorian peninsula track.
Wearing Rupert Legh’s prominent racing colours – the same silks adorned by Friday’s William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Masked Crusader (Toronado) – Mount Popa was sent to the lead by Perth jockey Willie Pike and the race was over soon after with the pair allowed to idle along in front at slow sectionals.
The $2.30 favourite was asked to increase the tempo at the 600 metres and the horse responded, going on to score by two and three-quarter lengths over Nonconformist (Rebel Raider). Irish Flame (Zed) was another two lengths away in third.
Mount Popa ran 2:33.97 seconds, 8.55 seconds outside Berisha’s (Al Samer) race record set in 2016, and the slowest time since the race was increased to 2400 metres in 2009.
“This bloke, he’s going to the paddock and he’s got his golden ticket into the Caulfield Cup,” Wayne Hawkes said after winning the 100th running of the Mornington Cup.
“You’ve got to let them tell you (what to do next) because no matter what their form is we just look at it as a blank canvas. We look at the physical and see how they are and he only had one run left in him, which was today.
“Now he can go and have a ‘fat’ spell. There’s a long time until the spring now.
“We’re going to have really good grass weather for the horses to go and eat the good grass over the rest of the autumn.
“It’s all worked out perfectly.”
In a remarkable 24 hours for Legh after the victories of Masked Crusader and Mount Popa, he also part-owns the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained filly Chica Fuerte (Hinchinbrook) who was victorious in the Alexandra Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Moonee Valley.
A last-start winner of the Randwick City Stakes (Listed, 2000m), Mount Popa gave Pike a good feel going onto the Mornington track, often noted as a “horses for courses” circuit.
“The moment I cantered off on him I knew I had a serious horse underneath me,” said Pike, who rode four winners on the card including the feature race double of the Mornington Cup and Hareeba Stakes (Listed, 1200m), in which he delivered Western Australian sprinter Laverrod (Toronado) to victory.
“The only thing that made me a little concerned was that he looked around a bit in front. He didn’t take the turns that well because he was having a look around, but at the end of the day, he was too good.”
Mount Popa was purchased by Stephen Hillen Bloodstock at the 2019 Arqana Deauville Autumn Mixed Sale for €200,000, the son of Maxios (Monsun) is one of five winners out of Mimalia (Silver Hawk) and a half-brother to Newmarket Listed winner Unnefer (Danehill Dancer).
Inglis Easter sale unaffected by delayed autumn carnival
The Sydney autumn carnival will be pushed back a week, including the two days of The Championships at Randwick, after yesterday’s Golden Slipper meeting at Rosehill was postponed, but the move will not impact the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
The decision by Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club, which sees the Slipper meeting run on March 27 and the Tancred Stakes meeting at Rosehill on April 3, was made after 117 millimetres of rain fell at Rosehill during the week and another 23 millimetres fell overnight.
With more rain forecast throughout the day, Racing NSW stewards ruled small sections of the track were “beginning to squelch” and would not be safe for the meeting to go ahead.
The Australian Easter sale is scheduled for Warwick Farm next month, meaning the corresponding lead-up Saturday meeting will now be run at Rosehill instead of Randwick.
“(It was a) good decision to postpone the carnival by a week and keep the flow and timing between races intact,” Inglis managing director Mark Webster posted on social media.
“None of this will impact the Inglis Easter sale, which will be held on April 6 and 7 at Riverside Stables as planned.”
Racing NSW, in announcing the rescheduled autumn carnival program, said the final field and barrier draw would remain the same for this weekend’s Golden Slipper, but nominations for other races on yesterday’s card will be reopened and acceptances taken at 9am on Wednesday.
“The postponement of the Golden Slipper meeting is unfortunate, but under the circumstances both the ATC and Racing NSW feel that resetting the Sydney autumn carnival one week later is the best overall option for participants and the flow of the carnival,” V’landys said.
It is just the second time the Golden Slipper meeting has been called off since the two-year-old race’s inception in 1957. The 1963 meeting was postponed until the following Wednesday which saw Pago Pago (Matrice) claim the rich feature.
Racing NSW chief steward Marc Van Gestel yesterday said officials had no choice but to call the meeting off.
“In the circumstances the track can’t cope with any more rain, it’s full now,” Van Gestel told Sky Sports Radio.
“We think in the circumstances we wouldn’t be in a position to proceed so we’ve had to make the unfortunate decision to postpone.
“Given the forecast for today and the way the morning has unfolded we’re just not in a position to proceed.”
New Sydney autumn carnival race dates
Golden Slipper Day (Rosehill Gardens) – Saturday, March 27
Tancred Stakes Day (Rosehill Gardens) – Saturday, April 3
The Championships (Royal Randwick) day one – Saturday, April 10
The Championships (Royal Randwick) day two – Saturday, April 17
All Aged Stakes Day (Royal Randwick) – Saturday, April 24