Go Racing’s Atishu bounces back in the Empire Rose
Celebrations were in full flow for the Chris Waller team at Flemington on Saturday as their ever-consistent mare Atishu (Savabeel) made it third-time-lucky in the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), capping off a hugely successful day for the stable.
Having finished fifth in the 2022 renewal when beaten two lengths by Icebath (Sacred Falls), before finishing second, a length adrift, behind star mare Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) in last year’s contest, it seemed Saturday was the day when the stars aligned for the daughter of Savabeel (Zabeel).
And so it proved, with the confidence of both her trainer and jockey James McDonald behind her, the now seven-year-old was not to be denied a third time as she sprouted wings inside the final 300 metres to run down Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni) and score by 0.2 lengths.
The front pair pulled a further length and a half clear of Socks Nation (Sioux Nation) back in third.
“What a mare she is,” a delighted McDonald said. “She just turns up and performs. I’m incredibly proud of her. The team have presented her in immaculate order and she’s done the job.
“Her performance in this race last year – I couldn’t believe that she got beaten. But then, as it’s turned out, Pride Of Jenni became an absolute star.
“She’s just a quality mare. I’m really proud of her.”
Atishu’s win in the Empire Rose Stakes was the third leg of a stunning treble on the day for Waller and McDonald, having taken out the Coolmore Stud Stakes with Switzerland and Carbine Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) with Aeliana (Castelvecchio) earlier on the card.
Bred by Waikato Stud, the mare was bought for NZ$260,000 by Albert Bosma’s Go Racing, in whose colours she races, at Book 1 of the 2019 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
“She’s a beautiful mare,” Waller said. “She’s been here a long time, and horses like her are so special. When they’ve been with you that long, they’re certainly a big part of the team. They continue to fly the flag and make you proud.
“We thought she was building up well towards this, and knowing how well she goes at Flemington gave us confidence more than anything. She’s a year older, so she just takes that bit longer to find a grand final. We had a little bit of confidence today that the grand final was here this week.”
Waller is set to give very strong consideration this week to backing up Atishu for next weekend’s Champions Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), a race she won in 2023 following her narrow Empire Rose defeat.
It is surely ominous for Atishu’s potential Champions Stakes rivals, ones that could include her stable companion, the sensational Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock), that on the only other occasion the mare had a seven-day back-up was when she landed the Matriarch Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) in 2022, a run that followed her Empire Rose fifth placing.
“There’s a pretty good chance she’ll be back next week,” Waller said. “She’ll have some good opposition there, but she won’t be worried about them. She’ll be saying ‘look out for me’.”
Saturday’s victory was the third elite-level win of Atishu’s (7 m Savabeel – Posy by No Excuse Needed) 45-start career to date, one which also includes a further five stakes wins and now over $5 million in prize-money.
A sister to Mazzolino, who won the 2023 Desert Gold Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) in the colours of Waikato Stud, Atishu is out of Posy. The daughter of No Excuse Needed (Machiavellian) won two races on the track and is a sister to Champion Three-Year-Old and multiple Group 1 scorer Daffodil.
Atishu is one of 33 individual Group 1 winners for Waikato Stud’s nine-time champion sire Savabeel (Zabeel), who is standing for a fee of NZ$100,000 (plus GST).