Matamata Double - Inspired Indeed

25 January, 2024

Matamata Double - Inspired Indeed


From one of the best families in the stud book, Inspired By Art (3 f So You Think – La Bella Delicia, by O’Reilly) broke through at her third start in the $25,000 Maiden 1600 metres on 24 January at Matamata.


A direct descendant of New Zealand Broodmare of the Year The Grin (Grosvenor) and The Pixie (Mellay), who also produced Broodmare of the Year The Fantasy (Gatekeeper), it's a family synonymous with the Dennis brothers (Tony, Joe, Martin and Ray Dennis) in Woodlands, Southland. 

Held up in straight with more to offer when trialling on 22 November at Taupo, Inspired By Art ran the fastest last 600m (34.7) for second to subsequent winner Vera Rose when debuting in the Maiden 1300 metres on 2 December at Te Rapa, and worked forward outside the leader before finishing second in the Maiden 3YO 1400 metres on 2 January at Tauranga.

Two starts, two seconds, with blinkers on, Inspired By Art certainly justified favouritism but had to above average in order to deliver.

From ninth on the inner and still eight lengths astern nearing the home turn, Inspired By Art secured a rails path for jockey Wiremu Pinn, worked across heels inside the 200m, and charged late to score by a long neck.

“She switched off and relaxed nicely,” Pinn said. “I got back a bit further than intended, but she showed a really good turn of foot.

“I think she’ll get 2000 metres and the way she relaxed really helped show that sort of acceleration. She conserved energy really well early and had a big finish late, so it was a good effort.”

In the race named Matamata Function Centre, Inspired By Art ran 1600 metres in 1:36.6, last 600m in 37, on footing upgraded to Soft5, and paid $2.90 & $1.60 on the NZ TAB tote.

“She’s a filly we’ve always had a lot of time for and it was a really good effort the way that she won,” said co-trainer Mark Walker.

“She’s just starting to mature now, so we’ll chase black type with her now that she’s cleared Maidens.

“She’ll more than likely go to the David & Karyn Ellis Classic race at Te Rapa, and we think she’ll just eat up the 2000 metres.”

The $175,000 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (Gr. 2, 2000m) is contested on Saturday 10 February at Te Rapa.

“She’s a really nice staying filly in the making, the girls at the Uni Barn are doing an excellent job with her, and it’s a great ownership team,” Walker added. 

Owned by Geoff and Jeanetta Taylor, Janine Dunlop, and Gordon Calder, Inspired By Art was bred by Calder in conjunction with Terry Archer, prepared for sale by Dunlop (Phoenix Park), and sold for $130,000 at the 2022 Karaka Book 1 Sale.

By 10-time Group One winner So You Think (High Chaparral), who continues to do an outstanding job at stud, makes Inspired By Art a three-quarter sister to 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and Surround Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m) winner La Diosa (So You Think), out of grand-dam Star Affair (Star Way).

It is the family of Champion Three-Year-Old The Jewel (O’Reilly), Group One winning stallion The Chosen One (Savabeel), and former Te Akau trained 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner The Perfect Pink (Savabeel). 

“I thought she was out of our league, as a $300,000 sort of filly, so we were delighted to buy her for $130,000, especially out of this family,” Taylor said.

“She was prepared immaculately by Janine (Dunlop) and how they missed her, from that family, at that price, has got me beat, but I’m delighted to have a share in her. And Terry (Archer) and Gordon (Calder) and that ownership group did a wonderful job in breeding her.

“She’ll go into my broodmare band at the end of her racing career and in the meantime we’re looking forward to seeing how far she gets on the race track.

“Next year, being by So You Think, out of that family, we expect she could contest some lovely staying races. 

“We’ve been racing for a long time and we’ve had Group One winners and that’s as nice an effort as I’ve seen from a three-year-old filly in recent times. 

“Mark (Walker) and Sam (Bergerson) are doing a wonderful job with her and we’re very happy. 

“We had a huge offer for her during the week, but we want to retain her. She’s a very attractive filly.”

Inspired By Art was strapped by Ashlyn Lee. 


Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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