My Lips Are Sealed Super

Making no bones about it, My Lips Are Sealed (4 m Ace High – Tellmeaboutit, by Tavistock) proved too good in the $40,000 GCM Foods Rating 65 1400 metres on 4 September at Matamata.

Beaten a nose in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes and ending last season following the Group 2 Wellington Guineas both over 1600m, My Lips Are Sealed had remained back when resuming in the Rating 65 1300 metres on 21 August at Taupo, won impressively by stable-mate What You Wish For (Embellish), but bounced back stylishly.

With stable rider Opie Bosson ONZM aboard, My Lips Are Sealed was stalking in midfield before ranging ominously entering the home straight, and she raced clear to win with authority.

“She travelled quite nicely, hit a bit of bad ground at the 800 metres and lost her footing, but she came back up underneath me and she was going to win a long way out,” Bosson said.

“She should keep getting better and better. She’s a bit stronger this time in and I think 1400 metres to a mile is her go.

“She seemed to handle the (heavy) ground, but she’s got a nice enough stride to suggest she might like a bit better.”

On Heavy10 footing, My Lips Are Sealed ran 1400 metres in 1:29.8, last 600m in 39.3 (approx.), and shortened appreciably in betting after opening at $4.00 to pay $2.40 & $1.20 on the NZ TAB tote. 

My Lips Are Sealed continued a good run for trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, after the stables had five wins at three venues on Saturday. 

“She never really raised a gallop when stuck down on the inner at Taupo, but we were quietly confident, her work had been good since and, obviously, home track helps as well,” said Bergerson, from the course. 

“Her gallop on Saturday was really top-notch and it was good to see her do that. She was a stakes' performer last season and hopefully she can go on with it.

“We’re really happy with her. She’s a bit stronger this time around. She was really strong through the line today and gets through wet ground.”

Interestingly, and as is often the case with horses winning at similar times of the year, My Lips Are Sealed had won fresh-up last season over 1200 metres on 6 September at Avondale.

Co-trainer Mark Walker said: “She’s always shown promise, but just had a few niggles with maturity. She's one of those fillies that had a few back pains and little niggles the whole way through, so we’re just hoping now that she’s more mature as a four-year-old and has overcome those issues.

“She was a beautiful yearling and photo-finished for second in the Eulogy Stakes, so the ability was there last season and we hope she can go on with it now.

“I don’t think she was entirely comfortable in the ground today, which Opie (Bosson) thought too, but it was a good confidence building win.

“We’ll be looking to get her rating up higher and then search for some more suitable black type races.”

Owned by the Te Akau Not A Word Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), My Lips Are Sealed was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis CNZM for $160,000 at the Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Rich Hill Stud. 

She was the first sales' representative of dual Group One winner Ace High, by Champion Sire and sire of sires High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), out of a mare by dual Group One winning stallion Tavistock (Montjeu), who had a great turn of foot, sire of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther and seven Derby winners.

Ace High won the Victoria Derby (Gr. 1, 2500m) and Spring Champion Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m), and while a majority of his first crop winners last season were over 1200m and 1400m, he included 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (Gr. 2, 2000m) winner Molly Bloom, and sired winners to 2200 metres. 

Grand-dam What Can I Say (Khozaam), a noted performer on rain-affected going, impressed winning among eight victories which included the Warwick Farm Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m). In turn, she became an incredible producer of 10 individual winners, notching 29 wins, including six stakes' wins, and over $1.5 million in prize money.

The family also includes speed influence of Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard), who finished second to Te Akau trained Champion Two-Year-Old Sword of State (Snitzel) in the Group 3 King’s Plate 1200m, and subsequently won three Group Three races over 1200 metres and finished runner-up three times at Group One level. 

“We’ve got really loyal Te Akau owners and supporters in the mare, including All Black Anton Lienert-Brown and former All Black captain Sean and Bronwyn Fitzpatrick, along with Auckland Thoroughbred Racing CEO Paul Wilcox,” Ellis said.

“She took a while to get going as a younger filly, but won first-up as a three-year-old and went very close to winning the Eulogy Stakes, so she’s coming along pretty well.

“While the progeny of Ace High raced very well as three-year-olds, they looked as though they’d be even better at four with a bit more maturing and I think we’re starting to see that already this season.

“It was also great to win a $40,000 race at a midweek meeting in New Zealand, which followed a $50,000 Open Handicap. This shows what a great job Entain is doing of increasing prize money and breathing real life into a racing industry that has such a great history in this country.

“Mark and Sam have had another great start to the season and it can only be achieved with the top team they’ve got around them at the stable and also at the farm, so I’m very happy and proud of them.”

My Lips Are Sealed was strapped by Peter Van Rooyen. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz