The emerging rivalry between exciting fillies Alabama Lass and Captured By Love swung back in Captured By Love’s favour with an outstanding performance in Saturday’s Gr.1 Barneswood Farm 52nd New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
The Matamata-trained stars clashed for the first time in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) on their home track in February, where Captured By Love beat Alabama Lass by a length and three-quarters.
That was the only defeat from the first five career starts for Alabama Lass, who went on to string together three blistering victories this spring including the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings and last month's Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie. In the Gold Trail, the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained flier reversed the Matamata Breeders' Stakes result with a three-quarter-length defeat of Captured By Love.
The evenly matched pair headed to Riccarton on Saturday with their scoreline all square at one-all ahead of the prestigious $550,000 classic. Alabama Lass was sent out as the $2.20 favourite for the 1000 Guineas with Captured By Love the second elect at $4.30, but it was the Te Akau Racing chestnut who took out the all-important Group One.
Visiting Australian jockey Josh Parr found a midfield position in sixth and one off the rail on Captured By Love, while Alabama Lass took up her expected front-running role and enjoyed some easy sectionals coming down the side of the track.
The field came out to the middle of the Riccarton strip at the home turn, searching for the better footing on the Soft7 surface. Parr opted to angle Captured By Love back closer the rail, quickly looming up on the inside of Alabama Lass at the 300m mark.
Alabama Lass saw her nemesis coming and lifted again in a brave front-running performance, but Captured By Love surged past her in the last 100m and went clear to win by a length and a quarter. Alabama Lass held second, with the lightly raced Movin Out storming home from near last to finish third in only the third race of her career.
"It feels great to win a Group One race in New Zealand," Parr said. "Two years ago I came to ride for Te Akau at this carnival, and this day didn't go well with the races being cancelled.
"Middle to three-quarters of the way out on the track is the place to be, but it opened up on the middle to inside, so I took the shortcut. We idled up alongside the favourite and she was the stronger filly.
"The Te Akau team has been great to me in the past and they're huge contributors both here and in Australia."
Captured By Love was bought for A$525,000 by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale last year. The Written Tycoon filly has now had 10 starts for five wins and five placings, earning $703,435 for the Te Akau 2023 Magic Fillies' Breeding Syndicate.
"That was a great win," said Mark Walker, who trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson. "Well done to our racing manager Reece Trumper for getting the services of Josh Parr.
"At the top of the straight it could have got ugly, but Group One jockeys make Group One decisions and Josh got a lovely run through on the inside.
"Big thanks to Dave (Ellis), who bought the filly without any owners. It takes great nerve to buy the ones you want, and full credit to Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) for filling the syndicate.
"It's been an interrupted preparation for Captured By Love, but the 1000 Guineas was the one we wanted. Full credit to Sam – I've spent a lot of time at our Melbourne stable during the spring. He held his nerve by not giving her a hard gallop on Tuesday, just didn't think she needed it, and the result was a very satisfying win for everyone involved.
"She's only going to improve heading into the autumn, so very exciting times ahead for Captured By Love."
Captured By Love became the seventh 1000 Guineas winner for the Te Akau stable, following on from Insouciant (2007), King's Rose (2010), Costa Viva (2013), Risque (2015), Kahma Lass (2020) and The Perfect Pink (2021).
"It's a privilege to win this race for the seventh time," Karyn Fenton-Ellis said. "Congratulations to David Ellis for buying this filly, the owners who understand how good she is, and Mark and Sam for the way they have managed her through a somewhat difficult preparation.
"Today she showed all the spirit and class that she possesses, and thank you to Josh Parr for coming over and riding such a great race.
"Nothing gives us more joy than to win a race like the 1000 Guineas for such a great group of owners, and it's a special privilege to be on the podium accepting the awards from the Canterbury Jockey Club."
Jockey Sam Spratt was far from disappointed with the performance of runner-up Alabama Lass.
"I thought she was really good," she said. "She just didn't cop the wet track today. Coming up to the turn, she wasn't travelling well and I thought the whole field might go past me. So she fought well.
"The mile not quite be right up her alley, but I think she could have got away with it on dry ground. She'll keep, and Ken is talking about freshening her up for a shot at the Railway (Gr.1, 1200m)."
