Imperatriz Grp 2 Impressive - Karaka Million Night

Presented in pristine order and the shortest priced winner on the six-race Karaka Million card, Imperatriz (4 m I Am Invincible - Berimbau, by Shamardal) won the $180,000 Westbury Classic (Gr. 2, 1400m) on Saturday at Pukekohe.

After finding plenty when running the fastest last 600m (33.1) on the day to win the Sistema Railway (Gr. 1, 1200m) on 1 January at Te Rapa, the Champion Three-Year-Old, triple Group One winner, and now sporting 11 wins from 16 starts, pushed her earnings to $887,233.

Purchased for A$360,000 by David Ellis CNZM at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale 2020, from the draft of Bhima Thoroughbreds, and owned by the Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Imperatriz lives up to the 'empress' title from which her name translates.

“Thank you to a wonderful sponsor, Westbury Stud, one of New Zealand's truly great studs and we have bought some fantastic horses from you over the years,” Fenton-Ellis said.

“We also bought a lovely Snitzel colt from the Westbury draft at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale, 10 days ago.

“I cannot tell you how proud we are of this filly, just extraordinarily tough. David Ellis, Mark Walker, Hunter Durrant - leading her - the team has all done an outstanding job in managing this very valuable filly.

“The owners love this filly beyond anything you could possibly imagine.”

Combining with Imperatriz for their fifth win, including two of three Group One victories, Opie Bosson gave her a sweet trip, took over as she liked mid-straight and won comfortably by a neat length.

“We got a beautiful run, cruised to them but she waited for them a little bit,” Bosson said. “She's got a lot of class and looked a big chance.”

On Good4 footing, she ran 1400 metres in 1:21.7, last 600m in 34.4, and paid $1.50.

“It was a workmanlike win with 59-kilos, but Opie didn't knock her around and took bad luck out of the equation when he popped off the fence at the 1000m,” said trainer Mark Walker.

Walker suggested there was further improvement to come as Imperatriz prepares for the $300,000 BDC Group Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m) on Saturday 11 February at Te Rapa.

Mark Walker recently recording the fastest ever training century in New Zealand, and Imperatriz provided him with his 18^thstakes' success this season.

Progeny by reigning Australian Champion Sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), standing for A$247,500, have been incredibly well sought after. His yearlings have sold for A$2 million, A$1.9 million, A$1.7 million, and A$1.45 million, with a median over A$500,000.

Imperatriz was strapped by Hunter Durrant.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz