Walker and Te Akau Racing celebrate as Imperatriz increases broodmare value further with William Reid Stakes success
It was a red-letter day for the Kiwi trio of Mark Walker, Opie Bosson and Te Akau Racing, as New Zealand’s pin-up mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), a four-time elite-level winner in her homeland, made it a quintet of Group 1s with a decisive victory in last night’s William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), the feature contest on the nine-race card at Moonee Valley.
Having made her Australian debut in the Canterbury Stakes (Gr 1, 1300m) at Randwick on March 4, Imperatriz was beaten by just a head behind Artorius (Flying Artie), having looked the most likely winner until the final 50 yards.
Dropped back 100 metres to her optimum distance for yesterday’s task, the four-year-old was not to be denied under Bosson, settling in midfield before making rapid progress nearing the home bend and quickening up in great style down the straight, staying on best of all to defeat last year’s Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) heroine Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) by a decisive length.
Fellow Group 1-winning mares Roch ‘N’ Horse (Per Incanto), beaten two and a quarter lengths, and September Run (Exceed And Excel), beaten two and a half lengths, ran home for third and fourth respectively, in a finish dominated by the females.
Walker, who took over from now Hong Kong-based Jamie Richards as head trainer of Te Akau Racing last year after an 11-year stint in Singapore, had only one previous Australian Group 1 win to his name before doubling that tally in yesterday’s event.
“We’ve been a bit unlucky in Group 1s, especially in Melbourne over the years, so it was great to get that win tonight,” said Walker.
“I was away for quite a while. I was 11 years in Singapore, but to come back so soon and do it was very satisfying. My son Xavier is here tonight as well, so that’s even better.
“It was a fantastic ride of Opie’s as well and he just timed it perfectly. We had to make quite a long, sustained run, so full credit to the mare, she’s a beauty.
“We’ll just get her home to Te Akau Stud and get some of that good New Zealand grass into her and give her a break.”
Bosson, who was registering his 11th Group 1 victory on Australian soil, also gave credit to the mare, who he has now ridden to four elite-level wins.
“She’s just got an amazing turn of foot,” he said. “She can get herself out of trouble and she can run out a strong 1400 [metres], so 1200 [metres] wasn’t going to be too much of a problem.
“There was a lot of pressure, I got back probably a couple of spots further than I wanted to, but I ended up getting a nice drag into the race and she did the rest really.”
Bred by Raffles Dancers Pty Ltd, Imperatriz (4 m I Am Invincible – Berimbau by Shamardal) as purchased for $360,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Te Akau principal David Ellis from the Bhima Thoroughbreds, and yesterday’s success took her prize-money total to over AU$1.6 million.
She is the best of two winners to come out of the winning Group 2-placed Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare Berimbau, herself a half-sister to dual stakes winner Vinco (I Am Invincible), who produced a colt by Capitalist (Written Tycoon) last spring and was then covered again by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).
Yesterday’s win means that Imperatriz has now won more Group 1 races than any other of I Am Invincible’s 91 stakes winners, and she became the stallion’s third winner of the William Reid Stakes, joining Loving Gaby and Hellbent.