Group 1-winning mares bid to provide Christian with another memorable day
James Cummings’ In Secret and the Maher-Eustace-trained Bella Nipotina both take to the track in today’s star-studded Concorde Stakes
Fresh from claiming her first Champion title, with more likely on the way, star sprinter In Secret (I Am Invincible) takes her first steps as a mare in a gripping Concorde Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) today as her little full sibling prepares to head to the sales – and with another one on the way.
However, her breeder Michael Christian mightn’t know which way to look, as the other Group 1-winning mare on his CV – Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) – also begins a campaign which may yet be the last before her broodmare career.
In Secret, who Christian, of Longwood Farm, bred in partnership with Segenhoe Stud before her sale to Godolphin as a $900,000 yearling, begins her fourth preparation two days after being named NSW Champion Three-Year-Old – jointly with The Everest (1200m) winner Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) – at the NSW Racehorse Owners awards.
She lines up at Randwick in a small but engrossing field for the $1 million Concorde in which the old guard of Nature Strip (Nicconi) and Eduardo (Host) will set out to prove they’re not done with yet, while Team Hawkes’ Remarque (Snitzel) and Godolphin’s Zapateo (Brazen Beau) are also in the market.
Despite Nature Strip’s last campaign comprising a sixth in the VRC Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) and a fourth in Randwick’s TJ Smith (Gr 1, 1200m), a hard-held trial win over The Quokka (1200m) victor Overpass (Vancouver) last week led bookmakers into making him favourite for today’s contest at around $3.20, as he strives to pass the $21 million mark in earnings in his first run as a nine-year-old.
In Secret, with only two kilograms less than Nature Strip as a four-year-old under the set weights conditions, was around $3.60 last night but could nudge Chris Waller’s chestnut for favouritism, while Joe Pride’s Eduardo – now aged in double figures but still with only 34 starts to his name – was at $6, level with Remarque.
Bella Nipotina was around $9 as she resumes following a strong but agonising autumn. Having finally put three Group 1 placings behind her with victory in last October’s Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), the Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace–trained mare recorded two more top-tier minor placings when third in the Lightning and second in the William Reid (Gr 1, 1200m), before missing the start and flying home for a half-length third in Ascot’s inaugural $4 million Quokka.
She also turned in what managing part-owner Christian calls “probably the worst run of her career” when 12th in In Secret’s Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m), when fading after helping set a hot pace under substitute rider Harry Coffey, following Craig Williams’s fall earlier that day.
Christian and Bella Nipotina’s trainers believe the mare is travelling as well as ever as she begins a preparation in which the Moonee Valley Group 1 double of the Moir (Gr 1, 1000m) and Manikato Stakes have been identified as her targets. An invitation to The Everest, turned down last year as she pursued top-level success, would likely gain more of a hearing this time around.
Should she not show her best, however, the chance remains that the now six-year-old could be retired this spring.
“Consideration was given to going to the breeding barn, but the ownership group made a decision based on her autumn to race on for another season,” Christian told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“The plan was to run either this week in the Concorde, or next week in the McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley, before the Moir and then the Manikato, but we decided on this week.
“Still, each run this prep is a factor in determining what lies ahead. If she was to run really poorly with no excuses this campaign, it’s still not too late to go to the breeding barn.”
Christian, a former Collingwood AFL premiership player, winced before uttering the old cliche of “we’ll take it one run at a time”, then mused over a selection of possible stallions such as Zoustar (Northern Meteor), Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) and Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj).
First mentioned, however, was I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), who’s been serving Christian well.
In Secret – the super stallion’s main bread-winner in his just-completed second champion sire season – is the second foal of the five-time stakes winner Christian bred and raced, Eloping (Choisir).
After In Secret’s Magic Millions yearling sale success, Eloping’s fillies by Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) and Snitzel fetched $200,000 and $325,000 at Inglis Premier. Christian sent the mare back to I Am Invincible in 2021, and now – in partnership with Segenhoe – has a “really nice” yearling filly who’ll likely be sent to the Gold Coast in January.
“Eloping is also in-foal again to I Am Invincible and due to foal in the next few weeks,” Christian said. “And she’ll be going back to him again this spring. When you’re on a good thing, stick to it.”
Christian will somewhat have a foot in two camps when Bella Nipotina takes on In Secret for the second time today, but will be cheering for the former.
“We part-own Bella, so that’s where the preference lies,” he said. “It’d be great for her to measure up to In Secret, Nature Strip and Eduardo, and Zapateo’s another star sprinting mare. It’s a crack field, almost deserving of a Group 1. It’ll be a great race, and we hope Bella can match it with the big guns.”
Nature Strip will start from the outside barrier in the field – which last night stood at nine – under regular rider James McDonald.
“James often says he’d rather draw out,” Waller said on social media. “Over 1000 metres, he’ll work it out. The horse has come back well and we’re excited to have him back.”
Today also brings the resumption of another quality mare who this campaign – like Bella Nipotina last year – will strive to end a run of Group 1 frustrations.
Hope In Your Heart (Dundeel) lines up in the Tramway Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) as the first step in a five-year-old spring campaign aimed at the Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) at the same course on September 30.
The Kerry Parker-trained miler broke through for black type in two successive Group 3 wins last spring before a fast-finishing fourth in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) behind I Wish I Win (Savabeel). She resumed last autumn with a win in the Guy Walter Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) before running fourth, fourth and second at the top level in the Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m), The Doncaster (Gr 1, 1600m), and the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
Her consistency has raised $1.6 million prize–money for the homebred for veteran Sydney couple Alex and Deidre Illes. But long-awaited Group 1 success this spring would be priceless.
“Hope In Your Heart has just got stronger every prep,” Parker said of the mare, who has gate eight for Tyler Schiller. “She’s always promised me plenty of ability, and it’s just been a matter of bringing it on each campaign.
“She proved she can mix it with the big boys in the Doncaster and the Golden Eagle, and I think the Epsom is a nice target for her this time.
“Fingers crossed we get a nice run in transit tomorrow. She is a bit of a backmarker, so you need extra luck, although there’s not a lot of speed in the race, so maybe she can settle a little closer without us taking her out of her comfort zone. If things go right for her, I can see her in the finish.”
Hope In Your Heart was last night around $6.60 behind Godolphin’s Pericles (Street Boss, $5.40) and favourite Olentia (Zoustar, $3.80). The latter, trained by Chris Waller and owned by Star Thoroughbreds, who is a winner of five of her six runs, steps up from a Rosehill Benchmark 88 (1200m) to Group 2 company today, but did land Randwick’s James Carr Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) in her last run of the autumn.
Waller clearly has high ambitions for the four-year-old, saying: “It’s not easy, it’s a tough race, but gee she’s a good horse.”
Parker, who has just 34 horses on his books, will also deploy his other flagbearer when dual Group 1-winner Think It Over (So You Think) runs in the WFA Chelmsford Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m).
With the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) his main target, the eight-year-old is second-up from 16 months off after sustaining a hole in an off foreleg tendon following his Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) triumph in April last year.
Think It Over caught the eye with a strong-finishing 1.4 length sixth in Fangirl’s (Sebring) Winx Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) two weeks ago, when he struggled for room in the straight. With barrier four today for usual partner Nash Rawiller, he was a $3.10 favourite last night ahead of the Waller-trained mares Montefilia (Kermadec) and Hinged (Worthy Cause).
“He was tightened up late on, but he proved he was back at that level,” Parker said.
“I’m really happy with how he’s come through that run after so long off. And it wasn’t a gut-buster for him, because he couldn’t really let down fully in the straight, plus I had him nice and fit, because I didn’t want him to send him into his first race in so long without a high level of fitness.
“There’s always that query in your head – second-up after a long time out, but I think he’s in with a terrific shot.”
With Hope In Your Heart having hit the highs during Think It Over’s long time off, it’s the first time Parker will saddle both as live chances for feature races on the same day.
“To have two of them this good, for such a tiny, boutique stable, I’m pinching myself all the time,” Parker said. “To have two flag-bearing Group runners like these two, we’re very proud.”