Te Akau Season - Stakes' Win 12 of 30 - Australia No.5

July sees the final month of our phenomenal 2023/24 racing season.  

As we like to do at this time of the year, we now reflect every day on our Group/Listed performers of the 'season that was' - and there were plenty!  In fact 30 across New Zealand and Australia, with nine at Group 1 level.

The stunning season success of Imperatriz just kept rolling on throughout the season - after conquering Moonee Valley, it was time to replicate that at Flemington, and during the Melbourne Cup Carnival too!!

Rising to the challenge, Imperatriz (5 m I Am Invincible – Berimbau, by Shamardal) recorded her eighth Group One victory in the A$3 million Darley Champions Sprint (Gr. 1, 1200m) on 11 November at Flemington.

The champion mare, hailed as the best sprinter in the world, matched Te Akau horses Probabeel (Savabeel), a dual Horse of the Year that also recorded four Group One wins in Australia, while closing in on nine Group One wins by Avantage (Fastnet Rock), and 14 by national record-holder and another dual Horse of the Year for the stable in Melody Belle (Commands).

In recent times, Imperatriz had been the Queen of Moonee Valley, since winning the William Reid Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) in March and continuing with a hat-trick this season including back-to-back track records over 1000 metres in the McEwen Stakes (Gr. 2, 1000m) and Moir Stakes (Gr. 1, 1000 metres) and most recently winning the Manikato Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) on 28 October. 

So while there was some trepidation tackling the straight course for the first time, she certainly brought impeccable form to aid the challenge.

Partnered again by Te Akau stable rider Opie Bosson ONZM, Imperatriz received a gorgeous trip perched near the leader, was presented at the most opportune moment in the straight and again proved too classy over the concluding stages.

“It (performance) is right up there,” said Bosson, after notching his 94th Group One win. “Te Akau, David Ellis, Mark Walker, and the whole team, it’s a dream come true riding a horse like this.”

“We always knew she was really talented. She’s just getting better with age and she is the real deal and she has proven it now. Hopefully there is more to come for both of us.”

Trainer Mark Walker, who is approaching 2000 winners, including over 160 stakes' wins, summed it up succinctly, when saying: “It was a great win and she’s a superstar. She’s been incredible this time in and deserves a break.”

Purchased for A$360,000 by David Ellis CNZM at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale 2020, from the draft of Bhima Thoroughbreds, Imperatriz was owned by Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

Following a spell, Imperatriz was back in the fold to record two further Group One wins in February and March this year. 

In 2023, Imperatriz won more Group One races (6) than any other horse in the world, on her way to capturing 10 Group One wins among a total 19, from 27 starts, nearly NZ$7.6 million in prize money. She was retired in May this year and sold for A$6.6 million, becoming the highest priced filly or mare ever sold in the Southern Hemisphere.

For the lucky syndicate owners, they turned A$360,000 into more than $14.5 million.