Imperatriz lands the Eclipse Stakes.
The Jamie Richards-trained Imperatriz (2 f ex Berimbau by Shamardal) followed up her winning debut at Otaki on November 26 with a victory in the Eclipse Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Ellerslie on Friday and in the process handed I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) with his 62nd stakes winner.
Owned by Te Akau, she stayed on strongly to beat Stormy (Telperion) by a head, the pair pulled well clear of the Sword Of State (Snitzel), who is also trained by Richards and was another four and a half lengths further away in third.
"I was so excited to ride this filly today," said winning rider Danielle Johnson.
"I galloped her here at Ellerslie a couple of weeks ago and she gave me such a good feel that day.
"She's progressed so well. She takes everything in her stride. She just gives me the feel of such a good horse.
"I knew Sword Of State was going to be hard to beat, and Tony Pike's horse had a big reputation, but this is such an exciting filly. I just knew she'd run well."
Bred by Raffles Dancers, the daughter of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) was purchased by David Ellis for $360,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft last January and she is the second foal and first winner out of the winning and Group 2-placed Shamardal (Giant's Causeway) mare Berimbau.
Further back the filly hails from the same family as Group 2 winner Royal Courtship (Royal Academy) and stakes-winning duo Proud Player (Squill) and Poor Judge (Royal Academy).
Bhima Thoroughbreds will offer a filly by Fastnet Rock (Danehill) out of Berimbau at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and she is catalogued as Lot 96. The mare has most recently been covered by Vinery Stud-based sire Press Statement (Hinchinbrook).
I Am Invincible has 55 lots catalogued for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which gets underway on January 12.
Shamardal meanwhile, who died at the age of 18 last April, is proving to be a successful broodmare sire with Imperatriz the 52nd stakes winner out of a mare by the son of Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat). Those stakes winners are headed by five Group 1 winners in Hello Youmzain, Awtaad, Pretty Pollyanna, Mighty High and Latrobe.
