Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Race-Day Recap
In the same colours as Group 1 winner Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard), stablemate and 3-year-old filly Arriving Home (I Am Invincible) won on debut at Warwick Farm.
Stakes placed on debut at two, Archie Alexander trained 3-year-old filly Chosen Legend (Extreme Choice) won her maiden at Caulfield.
Four 3-year-olds won at Rotorua representing sires Alabama Express, Russian Revolution, The Autumn Sun, and Darci Brahma (NZ).
Arriving Home arrives on the scene
Bjorn Baker trained 3-year-old filly Arriving Home (I Am Invincible), who races in the same colours as Group 1-winning stablemate Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard), won on debut at Warwick Farm in impressive style. “I think she will go a long way. She races in Stefi Magnetica's colours, so she's got a lot to live up to with those colours, but hopefully she is going the right way,” representative Glen Lobb said.
“Bjorn has always liked her and he has always spoken highly of her. He said, 'Gee she is going to make a nice filly this', we just didn't know if it was a bit early for her. In a couple of her trials, we had gone forward on her but in her last trial we snagged her back and boy, she powered to the line and was really impressive.”
Sent out at $20 by punters for her debutant run, Arriving Home won by 0.15l from Choice Legend (Extreme Choice) and Our Little Star (Shooting To Win). Purchased by Cunningham Thoroughbreds, Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) and Bjorn Baker for $550,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft from Yarraman Park Stud, she becomes the 29th individual winner from I Am Invincible’s current crop of 3-year-olds, which includes G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. winner Move To Strike and Group 3 winner Bodyguard.
Glen Lobb | Image of courtesy of Sky Racing
The third foal of Listed winner Precious Memories (Stratum), Arriving Home’s older brother Biographer (I Am Invincible) is a city winner of three races. Precious Memories is out of an unraced half-sister to Group 1 winner and sire Castelvecchio, Group 1 winner Maid Of Heaven (Smart Missile) and Group 3 winner Mirrasalo (Redoute’s Choice), dam of Group 1-placed, Group 3 winner Mirra Vision (Lonhro) and Listed winner Mirra View (More Than Ready {USA}). Yarraman Park Stud will present a Home Affairs colt from Precious Memories at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale as Lot 795.
Chosen Legend backs up debut performance
Archie Alexander trained 3-year-old filly Chosen Legend (Extreme Choice) ran third in the R. Listed Inglis Banner S. at two on debut behind Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau) and Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}), which turned out to be quite the form race. Hayasugi went on to win the G1 Blue Diamond S. while Bold Bastille added two more Listed races last season.
“It was nice to get a win with her and she’s already got black type and it’s always good to win for a good supporter in Bon Ho,” Alexander said. Chosen Legend is owned by Bon Ho’s Legend Racing, and was purchased from Lime Country Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $420,000.
She won by 0.02l from Reach The Peak (Grunt {NZ}) with Everythingisautumn (The Autumn Sun) in third.
“She’ll make someone a nice broodmare one day. There’s plenty of racing left in her, and we’ve found the key to her now by getting over a bit of ground. Hopefully there’s more to come.”
Archie Alexander | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Extreme Choice has only 36 foals in his current crop of 3-year-olds and Chosen Legend became his seventh winner from this crop. She is the second foal of Lady No More (Onemorenomore) who has no further foals due to a few bad luck seasons. Lady No More won five races and was fourth in the Listed Tattersall's S. and is from the family of Group 1 winner Mrs Onassis (General Nediym), as well as Passive Aggressive (Fastnet Rock), Missrock (Fastnet Rock), and G1 Blue Diamond winner Lady Jakeo (Last Tycoon {Ire}).
Quartet of 3-year-olds dominate meeting at Rotorua
Wednesday’s races at Rotorua were dominated by several exciting 3-year-olds led by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott trained debutant gelding Cheaha (Alabama Express). Bred by JML Bloodstock, he flew from last in the 1230-metre event for jockey Warren Kennedy to win by 0.8l from Think I Got Cha (Harry Angel {Ire}) with Flanagan (NZ) (Swiss Ace) in third. Sold by Elsdon Park to Wexford Stables for NZ$220,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, Cheaha becomes the 20th winner for Alabama Express.
Cheaha is the first foal of Listed O’Learys S.-placed winner Sorrentina (NZ) (Savabeel) who is a full sister to Listed-placed winner Helsinki (NZ).
Elegant Jazz (NZ) (Russian Revolution) broke her maiden at Rotorua after a chequered juvenile campaign that saw her miss a run in the Karaka Million. “She was good, she was knocking on the door as a 2-year-old and I had a couple of placings on her,” jockey Sam Spratt told Loveracing.nz.
“They were hoping to get to the Karaka Millions and didn’t quite get there, but with a bit of time in the paddock, she’s come back really well.”
Trained by Team Rogerson, she was fourth on debut as a September 2-year-old behind Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) who won the G2 Schillaci S. at three this spring and placed in the G1 Coolmore Stud S. Elegant Jazz had four lead up starts into the Karaka Million, placing twice, then returned in the winter to add another placing.
Elegant Jazz (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Bred by Gerry Harvey, she was purchased by Rogerson Bloodstock for NZ$110,000 from Westbury Stud at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale with Harvey staying in the ownership. She is the first foal of winning mare Made The News (High Chaparral {Ire}), whose yearling colt by Tarzino (NZ) is Lot 705 in the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale in the Westbury Stud draft.
Pencarrow Stud owned 3-year-old filly Fosse (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) won at her second start for trainers Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie. Ridden by Sam Weatherley, she won by 0.8l from Miss Understood (NZ) (Niagara) with Everymoveyoumake (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) in third. The homebred filly is out of Choreography (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) who is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Rasa Lila (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) and Group 3 winner Posavina (NZ) (Tiger Hill {Ire}). Pencarrow Stud will present a colt by Home Affairs from Rasa Lila as Lot 237 at the upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Rounding out the quartet of 3-year-old winners at Rotorua was gelding Amazing Fluke (The Autumn Sun) who was having his third race day start. Trained by Tony Pike and ridden by Michael McNab, he won by 0.8l from Our Time (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) with Just Call Me Jonny (NZ) (Eminent {Ire}) in third.
Sold by Milburn Creek at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $220,000 to a partnership of Woburn Farm, Enigma, and Upper Bloodstock, Amazing Fluke was on-sold at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale for NZ$280,000 to Hong Kong Bloodstock. He is the second foal of Listed winner Stormy Victoria (Fr) (Stormy River {Fr}).
