Te Akau Season - Stakes' Win 28 of 30 - Australia No.9

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.

It was to be her season and Group 1 swan-song - Imperatriz returned to Moonee Valley, the track where she was named ‘all conquering Queen of the Valley’, to defend her Group 1 William Reid crown - and wow, the track was awash with tangerine everywhere as it honoured its adopted and much loved star!

Victory would see her record her 10th Group 1 victory, six of those in Australia.  It was also see her unbeaten at The Valley, the only horse ever to win the MVRC Group 1 Sprint triple crown - twice in fact!  

In the calendar year of 2023 she won the William Reid, the Moir (smashing her own track record set in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes) and the Manikato.  In 2023/34 season - she won the aforementioned Moir and Manikato, adding her second William Reid to her CV.  So another triple crown!

A world champion mare - named the world’s best sprinter during the 2023/24 season - a mare who won more Group 1 races than any other in the world in 2023 - and who won more Group 1 races (5) than any other horse in Australia this season.

She is quite simply - a super star - a Champion worthy of all honours and accolades.?

With a mighty performance, champion mare Imperatriz (5 m I Am Invincible – Berimbau, by Shamardal) defending her title in the $1m 3 Point Motors William Reid Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) on 23 March at Moonee Valley, to record her 10th Group One victory.

Now the winner of all five starts at The Valley, Imperatriz first embraced the course when finishing powerfully in the corresponding race last year, and became Queen of the Valley with subsequent victories, 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 won the Manikato Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) there in October last year.

She then took on Flemington, recording her eighth Group One victory in the $3m Darley Champions Sprint (Gr. 1, 1200m) last November, before spelling. She returned fresh-up to win the $1m Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Gr. 1, 1000m) in February, and bravely carried top weight (58.5kg) for second in the Newmarket Handicap (Gr. 1, 1200m) on 9 March, in a weight carrying performance that almost matched the unbeaten (25 wins) Black Caviar (Bel Esprit).

What stood between her and justifying hot favouritism ($1.60) in the William Reid was merely speculation.

It never appeared easy from an awkward draw (9), and it looked worse when regular pilot Opie Bosson was caught on a limb beyond midfield, but he made a decision to put Imperatriz into a challenging position and despite a tough trip she found the reserves that champions are made of.

Winning by a head, Imperatriz ran 1200 metres in 1:09.9 on Good4 footing.

“It’s a great thrill, especially after the Newmarket,” said trainer Mark Walker. “She really dug deep that day, and to come back here and do it at her favourite track it’s a bit of a relief really and I’m looking forward to having a beer.

It really was a stellar victory and now puts Imperatriz ahead of the nine Group Ones by former stable-mate Avantage (Fastnet Rock), and second on the list behind dual Horse of the Year and Te Akau star mare Melody Belle (Commands), the domestic record-holder with 14 Group Ones.

His 12th victory on Imperatriz, the win also edged stable rider Opie Bosson closer to achieving 100 Group Ones, as he notched his 98th.

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

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, before finally selling when retired in May this year for A$6.6 million and become 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.

On course at Moonee Valley, syndicate manager Karyn Fenton-Ellis said: “She’s just such a joy in every part of her life, and I know it’s easy to find superlatives about top horses when they perform at the highest level, but she’s got heart, she’s got courage, she’s got tenacity, and she’s just a sweetheart.

“We loved her from the day we met her. We’re not just climbing on to the bandwagon, now, saying look how good she is.

“It’s a wonderful group of owners. David Ellis bought her at Magic Millions (Gold Coast) and she was the very last yearling to sell in her year.

“She’s just a horse the captures people’s hearts and she’s been so embraced in Australia. She might be Ozzie bred, but she’s a Kiwi.”

The efforts and enterprise exercised by Te Akau provides a lifeblood to New Zealand racing owners and fans, alike, which is widely acknowledged, and horses like Darci Brahma (Danehill), Gingernuts (Iffraaj), Melody Belle (Commands), Probabeel (Savabeel), Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle), and Imperatriz, have helped showcase their operation with Group One wins in Australia. 

“It’s been such an exciting season for us in Australia, to have the new Te Akau stables going so well at Cranbourne, and to train a mare like Imperatriz really helps put us on the map,” Ellis said.

“Mark (Walker) and Ben (Gleeson) and all their staff are really excited with the horses we’ve got and the opportunities going forward.

“Being here today and seeing our five runners perform so well is very rewarding, especially Imperatriz winning her 10th Group One. It’s just extraordinary and I’m very humbled to be a part of it.”

Te Akau previous wins in the William Reid Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m):

2023 – Imperatriz (I Am Invincible)