Champions Mile (Group 1)

“A FEW people have said to me that I stole it last week, but that’s a discredit to her. I was happy with the way I executed it, but you can’t employ those tactics on many horses, you need a horse with a serious engine and a great will to win.

“I think we’re just made for each other,” exclaimed a vindicated Declan Bates after a second Group 1 win in seven days aboard Pride Of Jenni.

Having blitzed their rivals in the Empire Rose Stakes a week ago with a daring front running performance, Pride Of Jenni was again allowed to take control of the front of the race in the Group 1 Champions Mile on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Out by six lengths on straightening, the Pride Of Dubai mare kept on to the line as Alligator Blood tried in vain to peg back the margin. The All Too Hard gelding finished three lengths back in third after Mr Brightside swept past him to fall a length short of his quarry at the line.

In form

“When mares are in form, they can do that,” said co-trainer Ciaron Maher. “I thought (last) Saturday would have had some effect on her. But we dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s during the week and she hasn’t done anything really.

“It was a small field and I thought it was worth a throw at the stumps as she never missed an oat and pulled up really well.”

Asked about a likely plan for the six-year-old mare, Maher was upbeat. “The All-Star Mile (at Caulfield in March) and maybe Royal Ascot, The Queen Anne,” quipped Maher.

Darley Champions Sprint (Group 1)

COMING off the back of four straight wins at Moonee Valley for Imperatriz, three at Group 1 level, Mark Walker and his team at Te Akau’s Cranbourne base were under as much pressure as any leading into the mare’s final target for the spring, the Darley Champions Sprint down Flemington’s ‘straight six’.

Just into ‘the black’ at $2.15 Opie Bosson was able to take ‘a sit’ in the run before asking the I Am Invincible mare for her final effort.

Kept honest right to the line, Imperatriz led and won by a half-length from the Supido colt Buenos Noches with the 2022 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner In Secret third.

“You don’t realise how long it is when you’re left there in front and you can hear them coming, but to her credit she knuckled down and put her ears back,” said 43-year-old Bosson.

“She’s a real darling. To have a horse like this in the twilight of my career, it is a dream come true. She’s just getting better with age, and she is the real deal and she has proven it now.

“I’d love to (go overseas). I’d love a trip away. It’d be nice to get to Ascot and show them how good she is.”

Such is Imperatriz’s high level as a five-year-old, her 2023 race record now stands at eight wins from nine starts including six Group 1 wins.

“She’s a real star and did the whole of New Zealand proud today,” said Mark Walker. “It’s probably a little bit of relief more than anything. You dream of days like this and there’s a lot that goes into these days from the ground up.

“Great too to see Opie on the big stage as well,” added Walker. “Opie sums things up so quickly from the jump. He’s been on the big stage since he was a teenager, and nothing really fazes him.”

TAB Champions Stakes (Group 1)

THE Savabeel mare Atishu completed a third Group 1 win for jockey James McDonald across the Melbourne Cup Carnival, winning the Champions Stakes over 2,000 metres last Saturday.

Trained by Chris Waller, the NZ$260,000 Karaka yearling purchase from Waikato Stud had run second behind Pride Of Jenni seven days earlier, a point not lost on punters who inflicted some late pain on the bookmakers having just witnessed Pride Of Jenni’s second Group 1 win.

“Horses don’t run as well as she did last week and not win,” said McDonald after the race. “

So to run second behind a horse that franked the form in the previous, when I walked out to Chris for the instructions I said, ‘We’re on a winner, I reckon’. Her progress has been phenomenal.

“She’s beautifully bred by Savabeel, stays well, stays the 10 furlongs beautifully and she’s as tough as boots.”

Atishu won by two lengths from the Shamus Award mare Duais and the 2021 Australian Derby runner-up Young Werther by Tavistock.

DAMIEN Oliver has ridden at his last Melbourne Cup Carnival as he prepares to retire after Perth’s Summer Carnival on December 16th.

The West Australian-born 51-year-old was given a ‘champagne shower’ after the last in the mounting yard with a guard of honour formed by jockeys, trainers and administrators to honour his stellar career which includes a record 88 Melbourne Cup Carnival wins, three of which came this year.

Oliver won three Melbourne Cups on Doriemus (1995), Media Puzzle (2002), and Fiorente (2013) and has currently won 128 Group 1s, an Australian record.

“The first thing I would say about my career is how quickly it seems to have gone. I’ve had a 36-year career, but it all seems to have gone very quickly. I am sure that when it is all over I will look back and say where did it all go?,” said Oliver who was asked what advice he would pass on.

“Probably the best advice for young people in sport is to treat people how you would like to be treated yourself.

“At the end of the day, it’s a people-based business. And in racing, whether it’s jockeys, trainers, owners, racing staff – just try to be a good person and it tends to come back to you.”

JAMIE Kah signed off the Melbourne Cup Carnival in style riding a treble on the final day to take her tally to six wins across the four days.

She completed her treble on the Mick Kent-trained Irish-bred Deny Knowledge in the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes. “I‘ve had a lot of apprentices and she’s as good a jockey as I have ever seen,” said Kent.

“A beautiful horsewoman and very relaxed. First winner she has ridden for me and I’m glad we’ve finally got one.”

UNDER vigorous riding by Tommy Sherry, the Irish-bred Unspoken dug deep to land the A$2 million Five Diamonds over 1,800 metres at Rosehill, making it four-from-four this preparation.

Trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, the Territories gelding, bred by Roland Alder, tenaciously pegged back the leader to win by a half-head from the Zoustar gelding Zoumon with the Jakkalberry gelding Detonator Jack in third.

“Prize money-wise it’s my biggest win, I’ve won a Group 2 and got a great thrill out of that but this was special,” said Sherry.

“Peter and Paul keep believing in me, and giving me back the ride. The horse was brilliant, I really enjoyed that. I was so impressed with him today.

Improving

“A lot of the pundits were writing him off and I don’t know why, his form is tremendous. He’s kept improving the whole way.”

The Snowdens have not been as active in the European market as other local stables.

“We try to get them on that low base rating. It’s too hard when you pay big money for a horse that is already exposed and trying to get them over here to perform at that level.” With his acclimatisation covered off the Snowdens are aiming high with Unspoken.

“We’ve kept him at a mile this spring with the Five Diamonds in mind but this horse will get a lot further than this, he could end up in a Caulfield Cup next year,” said Paul Snowden.

“It’s been a really solid preparation from him, he’s unbeaten. To see what he has done this time is exciting because he can only improve.”

New Zealand

Crocetti stitches up Guineas

New Zealand 2000 Guineas (Group 1)

THE Zacinto gelding Crocetti remains unbeaten, claiming his sixth straight win in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton on Saturday. Co-trained by Danny Walker and Arron Tata, Crocetti is just the third unbeaten horse to win the Guineas.

“He’s a real professional,” said jockey Warren Kennedy. “He knows what we want from him and when it’s race time. He jumped out really well.

“The pace was on and he took a bit of time to come back to me. At the top of the straight, he just ran past them and I hadn’t even asked him for an effort yet.”

Given the run of the race by Kennedy, Crocetti was too strong to the line, winning by a half-length from the Embellish gelding Talisker, the pair four-lengths clear of the U S Navy Flag gelding To Catch A Thief.