Hot favourite Miss Fabulass beat Fiesta to win the Group II ATC Tea Rose Stakes at her previous start, but did herself no favours this time around racing keenly and flicking her head around before being allowed to rush up three wide and share the lead on the turn by Kerrin McEvoy. (images Steve Hart)
She fought strongly all the way to the line to the line but was headed first by
Fiesta before both of them were caught by Tim Clark on the fast finishing
Oohood with So You think filly Nakeeta Jane surging home from dead last to deny Miss
Fabulass the third placing.Winning trainer Tony McEvoy was relieved Oohood had finally returned a winner after placing in the Group I Golden Slipper, Blue Diamond and Sires Produce Stakes last season at two.
"I've got to say coming up the straight I thought, 'oh no here we go again, not another close finish, beaten in a photo again'," McEvoy said.
"Thank god she just put her nose out for us.
"She was stiff in the Blue Diamond, stiff in the Slipper, I thought. And stiff in the Sires'.
"There's not a lot of her but she's got great ability and she's very tenacious."
A homebred for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Oohood is now headed to Melbourne as McEvoy plans to take on the colts and geldings with the filly in the $2 million Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in two weeks.
With a fifth and two fourths in the first three legs of the Darley Princess Series, Oohood has been super consistent , but victory in the Darley Princes Series went to the Chris Waller trained Fiesta with a win and three seconds in the elite race series that will earn her a service to the Darley stallion of her choosing when she retires to stud.
A half-sister to stakes-placed Breakfast in Bed and seven other winners, Oohood is from metropolitan winning Sunday Silence mare Bella Sunday, who was bred by Arrowfield in partnership and sold at the 2002 Magic Millions where she made $420,000 to the bid of Rogerson Bloodstock.
Bella Sunday came with a big pedigree as she is a half-sister to stakes-winner and leading sire Not a Single Doubt being from terrific producer Singles Bar, a daughter of famed matriarch Easy Date, the third dam of the 2007 Golden Slipper winner Forensics.
Bella Sunday did her racing for Ron Finemore and the Arrowfield partners before
going to stud for them and it was not until she was offered at the Inglis
Australian Broodmare Sale in 2013 that she came into the ownership of Sheikh
Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.She was purchased at that sale by Tim Stakemire on behalf of the Sheikh for just $110,000 and her subsequent foals since 2013 including Oohood have been foaled and raised at Coolmore.
Bella Sunday has a two year-old filly by Smart Missile, a yearling colt by Snitzel and was covered last spring by Sooboog.
Oohood has never run worse than fifth in 10 starts earning $1.3 million and has at last shed the tag of Australia's best maiden. She is the 35thstakes-winner for I Am Invincible and is his fifth Group I winner.
I Am Invincible has had an amazing 24 hours with Viddora winning the Group I MVRC Moir Stakes last night after I Am a Star won the Group II MVRC Stocks Stakes, while earlier today his brilliant two year-old filly Catch Me ran race record time in winning the Group III ATC Gimcrack Stakes, while his two year-old colt Covert Ops was narrowly beaten in the Group III ATC Breeders Plate.
