On Track 2024 (DRAFT 2)Pages AT - Flipbook - Page 12
Her ability to change lead legs and quicken around
the tight turning Valley circuit has been a sight to
behold over the past 12 months, and her remarkable
record here has only been matched by two horses
– both immortals who will forever hold a special
place in history here at The Valley. The invincible one
Black Caviar won seven of her unbeaten 25 starts
here, while Manikato won all the major sprints at The
Valley, just not all while they held Group 1 status.
With the perfect four from four record, there is no
doubting The Valley has found its newest queen, and she
will be back here to defend her triple crown on the 23rd
of March when she is sent out a short-priced favourite
in this year’s 3 Point Motors William Reid Stakes.
Te Akau head trainer Mark Walker and champion stable
rider Opie Bosson admit the superstar mare has now
taken top billing as the best horse they have ever been
involved in, and should she continue her meteoric rise,
could stand among the best sprinters of the modern era.
“She’s definitely, by far the best sprinter I’ve ridden, the
best horse I’ve ridden,” Bosson said in awe of Imperatriz
after she won the Lightning Stakes last month.
“She’s number one now, probably number one for
all the horses David (Ellis) has bought over the
years, and he’s bought a lot of good ones, but I
think she would rank at the top now,” Mark Walker
said in the lead up to the Newmarket Handicap.
It’s been a whirlwind start to 2024 though for Imperatriz.
After running a lackluster 5th in a Cranbourne trial in
February, many media outlets were alarmed that she
had not returned in the same sizzling form she had left
off in the Spring. She ultimately put those doubts to rest
in true fighting style, fending off the Joe Pride trained
Private Eye to win the Lightning in a close finish.
She then went on to the Newmarket Handicap, where
she was faced with the task of carrying the topweight of
58kg, and gave many of her key rivals sizeable weight
swings from the start prior. One of those was the winner
Cylinder, who had 51.5kg and the angel of destiny riding
on his shoulder, with Jamie Kah saluting in an emotionally
fueled finish. Imperatriz battled on gamely for second,
beaten 1.25L, but pulled up with EIPH after the race, the
detection of blood in the airways after strenuous exercise.
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While never ideal, EIPH is common and often not as
serious as it sounds, and many horses can bounce
back to the races as quickly as one week later.
Imperatriz will face the starter a fortnight after
that taxing effort at Flemington, but the good news
from Te Akau is they’ve indicated it’s all systems
go toward her favourite racetrack – The Valley.
“We were very happy with her run and she seems
to have come up really well this morning,” Te
Akau principle David Ellis said to Racing.com.
“So many horses pull up with that (EIPH) and that
won’t be a factor moving forward in her campaign.”
Such was the dominance of Imperatriz last year at The
Valley, she is currently installed as the $1.50 hot favourite
with Ladbrokes to take out the 3 Point Motors William Reid
Stakes, despite coming off the back of a defeat. The oddson quote is the same price she started in the Ladbrokes
Manikato Stakes in the Spring, and she looks exceptionally
well placed back to the conditions of Weight For Age.
Should Imperatriz light up the track and go back-to-back
in the 3 Point Motors William Reid Stakes, she would
notch up her fifth Valley victory, her 10th Group 1 success
and her 19th overall win at just start 26. Narrowing that
record down to good tracks only, she has won 13 of 15
starts and has filled the quinella at the only two defeats.
The five-year-old could possibly face wetter
conditions when she ventures north to Sydney next
start for the TJ Smith Stakes, but for now, the focus
remains on The Valley, and at Cranbourne, where
she is based with assistant trainer Ben Gleeson.
“We can’t wait to get her back to her favourite track
and back around a bend,” Gleeson told us.
“She’s a different horse when goes there and you can
see that in her attitude when she goes there even for
a gallop. She’s in good order for another big run.”
Affectionately known as ‘Berri’ around the stables,
named after striking actress Halle Berry, Imperatriz has
already created history here at The Valley, and if she is
able to reign supreme and win our Triple Crown again, it
is likely to be a feat never achieved again in our lifetime.