Imperatriz - NZ Racing Hall Of Fame 2025
20 May, 2025
Te Akau Racing celebrated a truly special moment in Hamilton, New Zealand on Sunday as both Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM and our 10-time Group One-winning superstar Imperatriz were officially inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.
Following in the footsteps of Melody Belle, who was honoured in 2023, Imperatriz becomes the latest champion purchased as a yearling by David Ellis to receive this prestigious recognition - cementing her place in racing history.
Melody Belle, bought by David Ellis for $57,500 as a yearling at Karaka, was named Champion Two-Year-Old, twice, Champion Middle Distance Horse of the Year and dual NZ Horse of the Year - she set a record 14 Group One wins, to overtake Sunline (13), when winning the Group 1 Bonecrusher NZ Stakes (2000m) in 2021. She retired the winner of 14 Group One races (19 from 41 in total) and $4.3 million prize money, before selling as a broodmare for A$2.6 million.
The most recent stable star has been Imperatriz (I Am Invincible – Berimbau, by Shamardal), reigning NZ Horse of the Year, Champion Sprinter in Australia and New Zealand, and Highest Rated Mare and Best Sprinter in the World (2023/24). In 2023, 'Berri' as she was affectionately known, won more Group 1 titles than any other horse globally.
Bought for A$360,000 by Ellis at the 2020 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Bhima Thoroughbreds, Imperatriz was proudly owned by the Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).
Retired and sold in June last year as a broodmare for A$6.6 million, becoming the highest priced filly or mare ever sold in the Southern Hemisphere, Imperatriz recorded 10 Group One wins, from 1000m – 1600m, among 19 victories from 27 starts, and nearly NZ$7.6 million in prize money.
Accepting the prestigious honour on behalf of the owners, Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM said: “She (Imperatriz) is super special and it’s said that good horses change lives, and I think she has done that for her owners and our team that worked with her.
“We’ve got most of her owners here tonight and they have been such a wonderful group to work with and this award is as much about their belief and support in what we do at Te Akau.
David Ellis reiterated that Imperatriz was the last horse to sell as a yearling. “It was in September and John and Denise Elstob came out to the farm.
“Everyone that had ridden her had really liked her and I took them down to show her to them. We took the cover off her, she was in the same paddock as Avantage, and they took the remaining 25 percent available.
“She was a fantastic filly and mare, beautifully trained by Mark (Walker) and Sam (Bergerson), and we’re so thankful to all the Te Akau team, stable and stud, as well as professionals such as our veterinary and farrier teams, that looked after her and did such a great job.
“We were thrilled for the owners, who have had so many incredible times watching her race and win, and to get a record price at the end of racing career is something we’re all very proud of.
“And I think we’ve got the next Imperatriz at home on the farm.”
On hand for the celebrations, Mike Fleming and his wife, Kate, bred, reared, and presented Imperatriz for sale, from their property, Bhima Thoroughbreds, in Scone NSW.
Originally from Christchurch, Fleming worked for Paramount Lodge, Highview Stud, and Cambridge Stud, before heading to Australia.
“Kate and I own Bhima, where we’ve been for 10 years, and we run a broodmare and agistment farm,” he said.
“I think Imperatriz was the first yearling David (Ellis) bought from us and this year, in January at the Magic Millions Sale on the Gold Coast, he bought a Snitzel colt out of Toffee Tongue, and a Star Witness filly out of Conscious.
“At the time of breeding Imperatriz, we were looking after all the Australian bloodstock interests for Dato Yap, who had Raffles Farm, managed by Kiwi Bruce Sherwin, and Imperatriz was bred, reared, and sold through Bhima Thoroughbreds on their behalf.
“Dato owned the mare, Berimbau, and Bruce was very influential in the mating of sending her to I Am Invincible. He’s a great operator, very diligent, and was our point of contact.
“Like any farm, we’re only as good as the progeny that come of it. We’ve had a fairly exceptional record over a short period of time, but Imperatriz is the pinnacle. It’s not everyday that you rear a Champion.
“She’s a great product for us to brand back to the farm. She was there from conception until she walked through the sale ring. I thought she was cheap but Dato was a breeder and seller and met the market with conservative reserves.
“Mark Walker was the first one to lay eyes on her, when doing his early inspections, and we had a feeling when he bought David back to see her that they were certainly very interested, and we weren’t surprised to see where she ended up.
“The first part of the puzzle is breeding and preparing them for yearling sale, but the bigger piece is where they end up, and I think when Mark came back from the Te Akau stables in Singapore, to take over again in New Zealand, and him reverting her back to sprint distances is what took her to the next level.
“Those sorts of decisions, from an outside looking in, when you’ve got David buying, Karyn syndicating, and managing them alongside him, and taking into account the class of trainer that Mark and Sam are – it was a big call to take on the best sprinters in Australia – just shows what a class outfit Te Akau is.
“I’m sure David would be the first to put his hand up and say that he’s only as good as the people he employs, any business is like that, and I think David and Karyn are well aware of that.
“She’s a beautiful mare, it’s been a great journey to watch unfold, and we’re very proud to be here tonight and be a part of it all.”
Group One Stakes wins: 2002 Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m), NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m); 2023 Sistema Railway (Gr. 1, 1200m), BCD Group Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m), McEwen Stakes (Gr. 2, 1000m), Moir Stakes (Gr. 1, 1000m), Manikato Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m), Champions Sprint (Gr. 1, 1200m); 2024 Lightning Stakes (Gr. 1, 1000m), William Reid Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m).
Imperatriz has taken us on the ride of a lifetime, and we’ll be forever grateful for every moment. Words will never quite do justice to how proud we are of her - a true champion in every sense, and a horse who will forever hold a special place in the hearts of everyone who has been part of her life-changing journey - from supporters and owners to the dedicated team behind the scenes!