Second G1 Win for Star I Am Invincible Filly Imperatriz

Media Release - Saturday April 16

Outstanding three-year-old filly Imperatriz blew her older rivals off the track at Te Rapa on Saturday when she bolted clear to win the Gr.1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).

Imperatriz is well clear for rider Opie Bosson as she takes out the Gr.1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Breeder’s Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa Photo Credit: Trish Dunell

The Mark Walker-trained daughter of I Am Invincible was given a gun ride by Opie Bosson as he made use of her inside barrier to trail leader One Dream One Soul before moving off the rail to issue a challenge three wide on the home corner.

Allowed to balance up and find her feet, the filly blazed to the front at the 300m and she ran away from multiple Group One winner Coventina Bay to win easing down by five lengths with Two Illicit snatching third off Dragon Queen on the line.

Walker, who took over the reins at Te Akau Racing with the departure of Jamie Richards to Hong Kong, has now picked up two Group One wins in the space of a fortnight after success with two-year-old filly Maven Belle in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni

“She’s a high-class filly and from her first start as a two-year-old you could see how good she was going to be,” Walker said.

“She is just getting more mature and Opie took bad luck out of the equation when he popped off the fence and went three wide.

“He knew what he had underneath him as he has ridden horses like this all of his life and he knows what to do on the big days.”

Walker doesn’t have any set plans for the filly but will take into consideration how she pulls up from the run before making any further decisions.

Imperatriz parades with strapper Hunter Durrant after her Te Rapa victory Photo Credit: Trish Dunell

“We will see how she eats over the weekend and we trot up every horse who races on the weekend on a Monday,” he said.

“We’ll have a good think about what happens next, but she did go to Riccarton in the spring, so maybe a break is in order.

“We have got a few going to Brisbane but we will just have a think about it after what we see on Monday.”

Advertisement

Connections of Imperatriz could also potentially target the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in spring, where an A$1 million bonus is now in play.

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes is one of 12 black-type races whereby the winner is eligible for the seven-figure bonus should they go on to win the Flemington fillies and mares feature.

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes was the one domestic Group One race champion jockey Opie Bosson hadn't won but he made all the right moves aboard Imperatriz to record the 87th elite-level win of his career.

“We went out with an open mind and if I lead, I lead, but they were going quick enough that I could take a sit,” Bosson said.

“I was pleased that I could get off the fence when I could, although I did wonder if I had gone too soon, but I had a lot of lower rated horses in front of me and wanted to clear them as soon as I could.

“I had a lapful of horse and I think she could even get further as she relaxes so well and will get even stronger as she gets older.”

As well as his domestic tally, Bosson has won a further 10 Group Ones in Australia.

Bred by Raffles Dancers NZ Ltd, Imperatriz was bought on the Gold Coast for A$360,000 by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis and is a classy daughter of the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Fillies’ Classic (1600m) placegetter Berimbau.

She has now won seven of her ten starts and just under $500,000 in stakes, having taken out the  Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at her previous start along with the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) earlier in her career. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Mogumber Park hoists wet sail with Marine One
This time last year, the first foals by Mogumber Park stallion Marine One were widely regarded as some of the best types on the ground in Western Australia.
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 5
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Briasa Wins $1million G2 Premiere Stakes- Everest Next
Twin Hills Stud’s Smart Missile will have a runner in the $20million The Everest and his explosive grey sprinter Briasa will be going into the race in top form following an exciting win at Randwick on Saturday in  the $1million Group I ATC Premiere Stakes (1200m).
Media World Adds to Millionaire Yearling Stakes Success
Stakes racing on Saturday produced a number of stakes-winners purchased for seven figures as yearlings in Australia with $1.8million Inglis Easter sale-topper Autumn Glow leading the way in the Group I ATC Epsom after earlier success for $1million 2YO Incognito, while at Flemington $1.4million entire Media World took out the Listed VRC Paris Lane Stakes (1400m).
Historic Day in Kalgoorlie - Old Meets the New
Kalgoorlie knows how to party, and on Cup day 2025 the party was big!
Captivant Colt Shines at Warwick Farm Trials
Captivant’s burgeoning reputation for producing precocious 2YOs took another leap forward at today’s Warwick Farm trials, with Courthezon powering to victory in Heat 10.
Pedigree Watch – Juvenile Stakes-Winners
Three new season juvenile stakes races on Saturday produced a $1million yearling purchase that gave Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside the perfect start to his stud career, a pinhook winner turned stakes-winner and a colt foaled in Australia with a Kiwi pedigree.
Sir Delius Delivers G1 Turnbull Stakes Win
Adding Saturday’s $750,000 Group 1 VRC Turnbull Stakes (2000m) to his Group 1 MRC Underwood Stakes (1800m) victory last start, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Sir Delius further enhanced his outstanding reputation ahead of an assault on the WS Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.
Surprise Bart Cummings Victory Secures Valiant King Melbourne Cup Run
It’s not often you see a runner from the Chris Waller stable go around at 50/1 odds, but 6yo gelding Valiant King (GB) produced an outstanding effort to win Saturday’s $350,000 Group 3 VRC Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington, securing himself a run in this year’s $10m Gr1 VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m).
McGaw Firms For Coolmore Stud Stakes After G2 Danehill Win
Considered an outside chance in betting markets, Emma-Lee and David Browne’s I Am Immortal gelding McGaw dented the reputation of a few leading Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes contenders with a fighting win in the $300,000 Gr2 VRC Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday.