Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Dual Group 1 runner-up Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}) will be offered for sale as a racing and breeding prospect at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale, joining the two-time elite-level winner She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) at the May sale in Sydney.
Trained by Gary Portelli, Kimochi has been incredibly consistent throughout her career, failing to miss a top three finish in nine starts. In addition to her lone victory, she has chalked up eight placings, and she has raced in stakes company on seven occasions.
Kimochi shed her maiden status in impressive fashion last March, defeating the subsequent stakes winners Kristilli (Hellbent) and Oz Empress (I Am Invincible), among other quality fillies, over 1100 metres at Randwick-Kensington.
Top filly Kimochi (red silks) to go through the ring at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale | Image courtesy of Sportpix
During the spring, Kimochi ran second in the both the G1 Flight S. over 1600 metres at Randwick and the G1 Thousand Guineas over 1600 metres at Caulfield, joining an elite group of fillies comprised of just Alizee (Sepoy), Global Glamour (Star Witness) and Guelph (Lonhro) to have placed in both those feature races in the past 10 years.
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch told The Thoroughbred Report Kimochi will be a star attraction at the Chairman’s Sale.
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
“The opportunity to sell a filly of her quality is relatively rare. The opportunity to sell high-class horses in training just don’t come up that often,” Hutch said.
“Kimochi looks to have her best racing in front of her and that has the capacity to draw in plenty of interest from a broad cross section of people, which is exciting for the sale.”
“Kimochi looks to have her best racing in front of her and that has the capacity to draw in plenty of interest from a broad cross section of people, which is exciting for the sale.” - Sebastian Hutch
Kimochi’s ability is there for all to see, but one thing not lost on Hutch is the filly’s pedigree. Her fourth dam is the elite race mare Infamy (Ire) (Shirley Heights {GB}), herself a top-tier scorer, from an incredible family cultivated by the great breeder Gerald Leigh that includes world champion stallion Dubawi (Ire).
Other stakes winners on her page include Innuendo (Ire) (Caerleon {USA}), The Brothers War (USA), Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Moon Queen (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}).
Kimochi is sired by Brave Smash (Jpn) (pictured) | Standing at Yarraman Park
“If you look at her record and her pedigree, she has got a pretty unique set of credentials as it is, and she gets the opportunity to enhance those through the autumn,” Hutch commented.
“She can go to the Surround, there’s a race like the Vinery for her, then there’s the carnival in Adelaide and even Brisbane; she could be a Tatt’s Tiara candidate later on.
“There’s just so many options for her.
“All in all, she is a pretty fantastic conveyance.”
“All in all, she (Kimochi) is a pretty fantastic conveyance.” - Sebastian Hutch
Owner lauds ‘the best I have ever had’
Bred by Aquis Farm, Kimochi is from the unraced I Am Invincible mare Summer Fun.
Valiant Stud consigned the filly at the 2021 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, with Leo To’s Hall Of Fame Bloodstock paying $21,000 for her.
Kimochi as a weanling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“I am advised at the sales by Merrick Staunton and Bill Wong, two excellent judges, and we just fell in love with her at the sale,” said To, recounting her purchase.
“She is an incredible horse – the best I have ever had.
“Honesty is her finest quality – she tries so hard in her races, each and every time – and while she hasn’t always had racing luck, she has never not tried her very best.
“Honesty is her finest quality – she (Kimochi) tries so hard in her races, each and every time – and while she hasn’t always had racing luck, she has never not tried her very best.” - Leo To
“Gary is doing a fantastic job with her and she has improved with each run, producing a career best in the Flight Stakes and then again in the Thousand Guineas.”
To, an expat Hong Kong businessman, is well aware of the fact Kimochi’s best performances may still be ahead of her, before admitting the decision to sell is a matter of financial management.
“Our feeling is that there is a lot of racing left in her and clearly she is capable of winning plenty of good races in the future, but I maintain a significant breeding enterprise and to sustain that, I must trade when the opportunity presents itself,” To explained.
Kimochi | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“She has an exciting autumn in front of her, with the G1 Surround Stakes an early target, with the option of going to the G1 Coolmore Classic or the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes after that.
“One of her best attributes is her versatility – she has lots of speed, as her form shows, but Gary and I are optimistic that she will also prove capable of being effective at beyond a mile, which opens up even more options.
“It is also encouraging to us that her sire, Brave Smash, did his best racing as a 5-year-old, while she is out of a mare by I Am Invincible, another stallion who typically produces stock that improve with time.”
Kimochi will be offered at the Chairman’s Sale by Olly and Amber Tait’s Twin Hills Stud, who know the filly well.
“She came to us to grow out after Leo bought her at the weanling sale and has always been a lovely filly,” said Olly Tait.
“She (Kimochi) came to us to grow out after Leo bought her at the weanling sale and has always been a lovely filly.” - Olly Tait
“It is very rare for a race filly of her quality to be offered at public auction with so much racing in front of her, so it’s very exciting.”
