Impendabelle on Track for Karaka Million

Media Release - Monday January 16

Precocious filly Impendabelle lost her unbeaten record at her last appearance, but through little fault of her own and hasn’t missed a beat in her build-up to the stiffest test of her fledgling career.

Impendabelle will contest Doubletree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Pukekohe on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

She will chase New Zealand’s richest pot of two-year-old gold in Saturday’s Doubletree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Pukekohe and currently shares the fourth line of betting as a $7 chance.

Impendabelle nailed down her spot in the $1 million feature before Christmas with an explosive spring debut victory at Trentham and returned there last month to triumph in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m).

The chestnut was then given a look around Pukekohe and, from an outside gate over 1100m, performed as well as expected when she came from second to last to finish third behind Million favourite Tokyo Tycoon.

“It was always about giving her run at the track and barrier draws are always key,” trainer Tony Pike said.

“We probably could have tried to push forward, but there looked to be a lot of speed in the race so we erred on the side of caution and rode her quietly.

“It was a really good run and she was a long way off them and probably couldn’t have finished any closer than she did.”

Impendabelle has breezed through the outing and a better barrier on Saturday will further boost the daughter of Impending’s chances.

“She’ll have her final hit-out tomorrow morning and at this stage everything seems A okay with her,” Pike said.

The Cambridge conditioner’s previous best result in the Karaka Million came in the 2017 edition when Felton Road finished third behind Melody Belle.

“I’ve had four or five runners, but haven’t had a lot of luck with draws to be fair,” he said.

Advertisement

Bred by the Smithies family’s Monovale Farm, Impendabelle was purchased out of Hallmark Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by Brewers Bloodstock for $85,000.

“She is a very laid-back filly and has been pretty easy to do anything with. She’s has been quite straight forward the whole way through,” Pike said.

A half-sister to Impendabelle by So You Think will be offered on behalf of Monovale by Lansdowne Park as Lot 36 at Karaka on January 29. 

Pike will be light on numbers at Pukekohe on Saturday, but will hold a strong hand in the Collinsonforex Karaka Cup (2200m).

Two-time stakes winner Tutukaka barely raised a sweat when successful last time out in the Taupo Cup (2000m) while Rapid Falls will be defending her title in the feature staying event on the program.

“Tutukaka was brilliant the other day and he worked outstandingly well at Pukekohe this morning and I think he will go very close,” Pike said.

The son of Tavistock appreciated the step up to a middle distance at Taupo and delivered exactly the winning performance his trainer had been expecting.

Rapid Falls finished fourth in the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) two runs back before she was seventh in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m).

“She obviously won this race last year and will be up in the weights a little bit,” Pike said.

“She’s probably not quite in the same form as 12 months ago, although she has been going solid races and has been hindered by wet tracks,” Pike said. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
G1 Metrop Win for Australian Bloodstock
Second in the Italian Derby at three, progressive stayer Royal Supremacy (IRE) had racked up multiple Group placings in Europe before his sale to Australian Bloodstock and broke through for his first ever stakes win when taking out the $750,000 Group I ATC The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 4
Here is the full list of 119 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Impending Filly Wins G2 Soliloquy
Classy filly Impendabelle is now a Group Two winner at the ages of both two and three, surviving a protest to take out a chaotic running of the Jamieson Park Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe on Saturday.
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).
First Stakes Horse for Home Affairs
The Group III ATC Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday attracted a strong field of talented colts from the recent official 2YO trials in Sydney and Home Affairs looks to have a quality youngster in I’m Ya Huckleberry.
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).