Saturday summary: Yulong's unstoppable spring continues with Kimochi's Sir Rupert Clarke triumph

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Kimochi wins G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes in an upset

Purchased by Ilsay Vale at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale for $2.2 million, 4-year-old mare Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}) returned to Gary Portelli’s stables in the Yulong Farm colours of green and white. Winner of the G3 Toy Show H. when resuming this spring, she ran fourth in the G1 Manikato S., before a fourth in the Silver Eagle, then a disappointing seventh in the G1 Empire Rose.

She more than made up for it on Saturday with a tough 0.46l win over Ciaron Maher trained favourite Another Wil (Street Boss {USA}). In third was Paul Preusker trained Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}).

“There was a bit of pressure on us, Yulong have been on fire with their famous colours in the last few weeks,” Portelli said.

“He was a long way back at one stage but it is a dream come true for us. We need the bigger stables behind us, that helps, and we've repaid their faith.

“They paid $2.2 million for her at the Inglis sales and we've been able to win a Group 1 now and she's worth probably three times that now.”

Kimochi’s form hadn’t excited punters who let her go around at $26, but a clever ride from Craig Williams had her back to her best form.

“It was always in the back of my mind. When she raced so keenly over the mile last start, we just had no choice, we're going back to 1400 metres. With a light weight on her back, we didn't draw where we wanted to draw but what a great ride, it made up the difference.”

She will be sent for a short spell, and a future plan will be announced in time. “We'll just put her away now and regroup. I think 1400 metres is obviously the distance we have to stick to now. She's a good horse fresh, she's unbeaten first-up so we'll find something and have a good crack at her first-up.”

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Kimochi becomes the first Group 1 winner for Brave Smash (Jpn), who has only 69 runners to date for three stakes winners. He relocated from Aquis Farm to Yarraman Park Stud in 2023.

Kimochi was originally sold as a weanling by Valiant Stud at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale for $21,000 to Hall Of Fame Bloodstock and won the G2 Light Fingers S. at three before her sale to Yulong. Winning the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. took her record to four wins from 18 starts with earnings over $1.9 million.

She is the second foal for unraced mare Summer Fun (I Am Invincible) whose first foal is Listed Singapore Derby-placed Hole in One (Spieth {NZ}).

Cambridge Stud homebred eyes G1 glory after Tauranga Stakes win

Cambridge Stud’s homebred 5-year-old mare Bella Waters (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) will be set for New Zealand’s summer Group 1 races after a strong win in Saturday’s G2 Tauranga S.

Trained by Moira and Kieran Murdoch, Bella Waters won the Listed Rotorua Cup last season, but showed nothing much in her seasonal debut last start running seventh. She turned that form around on Saturday with a tough win by a nose from Pearl Of Alsace (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) with Mali Ston (NZ) (El Roca) only just behind by a head. The trifecta were 2l ahead of the rest of the field.

“She has really come of age and is relaxed, maybe too relaxed coming around the corner and has turned into a real racehorse,” Moira Murdoch said.

“I thought she was a little unlucky first-up and we were a little worried about the track, but is has turned out really good as she is untried on the heavy. I think she is probably at that level (Group 1) and she earned that today. It would be nice to think she could get to those big races that are coming up.”

Dual G1 Doncaster H. winner Sacred Falls (NZ) had only five crops before succumbing to a liver-related illness, and he’s sired two Group 1 winners and 11 stakes winners from his short stud career.

Bella Waters is the one year older half-sister to 4-year-old gelding Immediacy (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) who won last season’s G2 Autumn S. at only his third career start. Their dam, winning mare But Beautiful (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), has produced four winners and has an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Hello Youmzain (Fr). This is the family of Cambridge Stud’s shuttle sire Stravinsky (USA).

Group 1 targets for Niance after How Now win

Trainer Grahame Begg’s consistent 5-year-old mare Niance (NZ) (Swiss Ace) was sent out as a $2.70 favourite for the G3 How Now S., thanks to a strong win in the Listed Alinghi S. when resuming for this campaign.

Second-up syndrome didn’t factor in, and Niance gave punters a winning end to the day at Caulfield winning by 0.75l for jockey Jordan Childs with the Charlotte Littlefield-trained 4-year-old mare She’s Bulletproof (Shooting To Win) in second.

“She's got a good record this mare, and she probably should be nearly unbeaten with us, but you know each time we've raised the bar, she's stepped up to the mark, and she makes her own luck up on front, on the lead,” said Begg.

“She just keeps on producing, you know; in my back of my mind, I'd like to give her a bit of a break now, maybe. You've got a day to dream, I guess. Maybe an Oakleigh Plate, in a race with 51 or 52 kilos on the back and she goes very well early in a preparation, so we can set her up for something like that could be advantageous. Sangster later on, who knows.”

One of 21 stakes winner for New Zealand-based Swiss Ace, Niance didn’t go through an auction as a young horse and was bred by Gerry Harvey and is now raced by a large syndicate, now with six wins from 10 starts with earnings over $344,000.

Quinella for Smart Missile as brilliant Briasa wins The Hunter

Newcastle’s The Hunter, worth $1 million, might just have found next year’s G1 The Everest winner as Team Hawkes-trained 4-year-old gelding Briasa (Smart Missile) overcame a wide barrier draw to travel three-wide throughout the race, then got into a good battle down the straight with Gary Nickson trained 5-year-old gelding Felix Majestic (Smart Missile) with Briasa coming out on top by 0.17l. Joseph Pride trained Coal Crusher (Turffontein) was third.

“He is a real competitor,” stable representative Steve Thompson said.

“He just wants to win like he showed today. There is still a lot of upside to this horse. He is still raw and in 12 months' time, I can probably see him in an Everest.”

The quinella will assist Smart Missile in the Sires Championship, but the race is yet to be officially ratified as a stakes race. Briasa will now spell and head towards autumn targets. He has won six of his seven starts with earnings over $800,000 and is a homebred for part-owner Dr Anthony Johnson.

Now standing at Twin Hills Stud, Smart Missile has 25 stakes winners and Briasa looks likely to join the official list soon. Briasa is the fourth winner from as many to race for Listed Wyong RC Mona Lisa S. winner Mary’s Grace (Twining {USA}).

Last week’s Listed winner Mehzebeen backs up for G3 New Zealand Cup win

Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson backed up last week’s Listed Metropolitan Trophy winner Mehzebeen (NZ) into Saturday’s G3 New Zealand Cup at Riccarton and the 5-year-old mare won the two-mile contest by an impressive 3l for jockey Craig Grylls.

“This is a massive thrill,” Bergerson said. “It’s one of the iconic races in New Zealand racing, so it means a lot to have our names on the trophy. Thanks to all of our team, both at Matamata and down here. The start of her prep didn’t quite go to plan, but she’s just improved, improved and improved.

“That win last week gave us the confidence to press on into today. She’s absolutely thrived and bounced through the run on the first day, and then she came out and was really strong through the line.

“There are plenty of nice Cup races coming up, both here and in Australia. The further, the better is what we’ve always believed with her. She’s just taken a bit of time and hasn’t always had the rub of the green.”

Sold by breeders Pencarrow Stud for NZ$50,000 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale to Sarai Stud, Mehzebeen ran second in the G1 New Zealand Oaks as a 3-year-old and this Cup win took her record to five wins from 19 starts with earnings over NZ$244,000.

“She was sourced by Danny Rolston, who’s obviously a fantastic judge,” Bergerson said. “He bought her for some keen owners and small-time breeders. They’ll all be over the moon with this result. It’s been quite a ride with her, a lot of ups and downs, but days like today make it all worthwhile.”

One of 22 stakes winners for Almanzor (Fr), who was purchased by Cambridge Stud at the start of this season, Mehzebeen is one of two winners for Salkantay (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), with the other being Listed-placed Smiling Touch (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}). Salkantay is a half-sister to G2 Matamata Breeders' S. winner Te Akau Coup (NZ) (Thorn Park) and Listed Wellesley S. winner Don Garcia (NZ) (Danehill {USA}).

Playing God’s impressive treble

The race favourite for the G3 Colonel Reeves S. Grant and Alana Williams-trained Western Empire (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) drifted to the rear at the start of the race but threaded through traffic for jockey William Pike to win.

“I’ve always thought he was a 1200-metre horse, he thought he was a miler early, but he’s a genuine horse, and if we were going up amongst the big boys, I thought I’d pull out all stops (by adding blinkers). He’s a really nice horse and hasn’t had that much luck this time in, but a beautiful ride.

“I give me old mate Noel Carter a big kiss, and he said I’d rather never win another race than be kissed by you again,” said trainer Steve Wolfe.

“That was always the plan (G1 Winterbottom S. next) otherwise (if he didn’t win today) we’d need to sneak around the edges and go to the Gold Rush, but look he’s a genuine horse, a short course horse. The weight might slow him down a bit but we don’t have to do much now.”

A winner on debut at two, Rope Them In has won seven of his 15 starts and this was his first black-type win. A $60,000 purchase by Commercial Bloodstock Services (FBAA) at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale from Willaview Park, Rope Them In becomes the 22nd stakes winner for Playing God, who has achieved this from only 204 runners.

Mojo Rhythm swoops

Trainer Mitchell Pateman’s 6-year-old gelding Mojo Rhythm (Playing God) swept down the outside to win the G3 RJ Peters S. for the second successive year.

“He’s a hard horse to train, he’s so big and gross, and if you work him too hard, he races flat. I was a bit nice to him and he needed the run in his first two. We’re off to the Railway again. He goes well off seven days (back up) and once he gets fit, he holds his form really well, so I don’t see why (he can’t win),” said Pateman.

With two late scratchings delaying the start of the Listed Jungle Mist Classic, it was Playing God who told the story at the end of the race with his 5-year-old mare Baby Paris (Playing God) who defied the day's racing pattern to lead all the way and win by 2l to give her sire a stakes treble for the day.

“She’s going to absolutely destroy them,” said the caller as she crossed the line.

Trained by Colin Webster and ridden by Troy Turner, Baby Paris won from Michael Lane trained The Boss Lady (Street Boss {USA}) with Peter Fernie trained Duchess Of Gossip (All American) in third.

“She’s a great little mare. The wide barrier had me worried but she jumped so well and then I was confident then that she would keep going,” said Webster.

Winner of this race last year, as well as the Listed Black Hart Bart S. last spring, the win was Baby Paris’ third at Listed level and ninth overall. She took her earnings over $810,000 and is bred and raced by Gary Bowen.

Kin makes it two in a row for Godolphin

Godolphin began the day at Caulfield in fine fashion, winning the opening two stakes races with 3-year-old gelding Pisces (Frosted {USA}) in the G3 Blue Sapphire, then one race later they won the Listed Village S. with 5-year-old mare Kin (Impending).

Ridden by Jamie Kah for trainer James Cummings, Kin had struggled in the G3 Furphy S. last start but had placed when resuming this season at the start prior. Kin came flying down the outside from mid-field to beat the leading group home, winning by 0.4l from Ciaron Maher trained Pharari (American Pharoah {USA}) with Grahame Begg trained Miraval Rose (Grunt {NZ}) in third.

"It's a huge result, very satisfying, and that sets her up as a broodmare for years to come,” said Cummings.

“Jamie got (the ride) spot on, so great to see she's got her eye in, she's timing them well, and not easy to do on a mare like Kin, a mare who's got such a low winning record, but to have been kept in training with a bit of faith to get that stakes win is very, very valuable.”

It was the first stakes win for Kin who took her record to four wins and five placings from 23 starts with earnings over $540,000. She became the third stakes winner for Impending, and the first from his first crop with his other two coming from his second crop.

Kin is the first foal of Listed winner Kinshachi (Commands) who also placed in the G3 Nivison S. and G3 Godolphin Crown and won five races. Kinshachi is a half-sister to G3 Danehill S. winner Aichi (Strategic) from the family of dual Group 1 winner She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice).