Imperatriz confirmed her status as the world’s top sprinter on turf with her ninth G1 victory as she made her comeback after a summer break in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington on Saturday [Feb 17].
Although the five-year-old was sent off odds-on favourite in an eight-runner field for Melbourne’s premier five-furlong sprint, Imperatriz was made to work for the victory by a dogged rival in Private Eye.
The latter made the running at a relatively moderate tempo, ceding the advantage only a furlong out and then sticking on gamely before losing by only a head to his exalted opponent.
While this wasn’t flashy, the winner’s connections were possibly just relieved she got the win after a questionable recent barrier trial. And while she gained only a minor 22pt boost on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings, she moves up a place to #4, with only Hong Kong star Golden Sixty above her among horses currently in training.
“Good horses probably save their best for raceday,” said Mark Walker (#17 from #19, +39pt), who trains Imperatriz for the Te Akau Racing team (#6 from #7, +46pt).
“It was a lacklustre trial, it really was, but when we galloped her on Monday, we were really happy with her,” added Walker.
“She’s a gem, really, to do it in the spring and come back and win like that. It was a top ride by Opie [Bosson]. It was a really tactical affair, and he used his initiative.”
Depending on the weight assignment, Imperatriz could run next in the Newmarket Handicap back at Flemington on March 9, though the TJ Smith at Sydney’s Championships meeting at Randwick is considered a more probable option.
Chris Waller-trained Fangirl (#22 from #37, +100pt) was a notable mover last weekend as the mare returned to action with a stunning display at Randwick.
Fangirl trounced her G2 rivals in the Apollo Stakes, where she was produced from the rear of the field by James McDonald (stays at #2, +31pt). Doing her best Winx impression, Fangirl cruised past her opponents for an overwhelming victory, eased down by 2½ lengths from stablemate Militarize.
Former Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance returns to the chart at #31 after a comfortable victory in the HH The Amir Trophy, $2.5m highlight of the three-day Amir’s Sword International Festival at Al Rayyan in Qatar.
Contrary to previous efforts, Rebel’s Romance made all the running under William Buick. “It wasn’t Plan A to make the running, but Charlie [Appleby] was very keen to go forward from stall 10 and he relaxed lovely in front,” said the jockey. “It wasn’t that long ago that he won a Breeders’ Cup Turf and he is somewhere near back to his best.”
The Dubai Sheema Classic is likely next target.
Also in Qatar, the admirable Brave Emperor (#83 from #152, +74pt) overcame a decent field to win the $500,000 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup, holding Ballydoyle’s Cairo by a neck.
A model of consistency, this well-travelled gelding has won ten of 16 career starts among them four Group races; he has now scored in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Qatar and has winning form on all-weather and turf.
• Unlike traditional methods of racehorse rankings, TRC Global Rankings are a measure of an individual’s level of achievement over a rolling three-year period, providing a principled hierarchy of the leading horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and sires using statistical learning techniques. Racehorse rankings can be compared to similar exercises in other sports, like the golf’s world rankings or the ATP rankings in tennis.
They are formulated from the last three years of races we consider Group or Graded class all over the world and update automatically each week according to the quality of a horse’s performances and their recency, taking into account how races work out.
• View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires
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