CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TDN FOR FREE! Remember Ben with a gift to Thoroughbred aftercare Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts Home » Archive » Top News Europe » Pierata Set To Cover A$6.6-Million Mare Imperatriz Champion Imperatriz (Aus) will be covered by Pierata (Aus) this season The champion mare smashed records when she sold for A$6.6 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast earlier this year The 10-time Group 1 winning daughter of I Am Invincible (Aus) was offered for sale by New Zealand-based Te Akau Racing In selling for A$6.6 million to Zhijun Zhao Imperatriz broke the record as the highest-priced filly or mare ever sold in the Southern Hemisphere Pierata's first crop are 3-year-olds and he sired juvenile stakes winners Coleman (Aus) and Tobeornottobe (Aus) Pierata served a career-high 191 mares last season and will stand for A$66,000 inc GST in 2024 Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts. Copy Article Link Editor / News Stories:editor@thetdn.com Advertising:advertising@thetdn.com Customer Service:customerservice@thetdn.com Click Here to sign up for a free subscription Opie Bosson: career total of 2,146 winners include 99 G1 success one of the greatest jockeys New Zealand has produced announced his retirement from riding on Friday [Dec 27] leaves behind an incredible legacy in the sport winning 99 G1 races in a glittering career which saw him inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in 2023 and immortalised in the memorable “There’s only one Opie Bosson” Boys Get Paid chant at the annual Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie He was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for his contribution to the Thoroughbred industry in 2023 in the King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours list Among Bosson’s biggest wins were the Australian (AJC) Derby and Caulfield Cup aboard Mongolian Khan in 2015 and nine G1s wins on champion mare Imperatriz “My association with Imperatriz was the highlight of my career,” said Bosson “Horses like that don’t come along every day and to be involved in her big wins in Melbourne is something I’ll never forget it became a lot harder for me to keep going It’s just the right time to hang up my boots now I feel I’ve given all I had to give.” Bosson was first apprenticed to Te Akau when his godfather Stephen Autridge was the head trainer He enjoyed a long and successful association with the David Ellis-led stable “I’ve done 30 years and it’s time for me to start working for a future after racing something I can be happy in,” Bosson explained “I’ve had some great times in racing enjoyed a lot of success and made plenty of lifelong friends I just want to thank all the owners and trainers who have supported me and for all the comradery from the jockeys I’ve ridden with and all the support I’ve got from the racing public all over New Zealand.” Bosson brought up his 2,000th New Zealand win aboard Move To Strike at Te Rapa in December 2023 and finishes with a career tally of 2,146 wins including two Singapore G1s that don’t count towards his international tally: the 2007 Singapore Cup on Recast and the 2010 Singapore Derby on Dream Ahead Among those to pay tribute to Bosson was his long-time mentor and friend David Ellis CNZM “Opie established himself as world-class He’s been a massive part of our stable,” Ellis said “He’s had to battle weight problems throughout his career and for him to keep going as long as he did and with the success is a real credit to him He’s been a great friend and we’ll never forget the success we’ve had together “You think about the Karaka Millions winners we’ve had Dynastic and before them King’s Chapel right through to all the Guineas winners we’ve had together He’s been a tremendously successful rider.” Hall of Fame trainer Murray Baker rated Bosson up with the best riders he worked with “He was the complete package,” Baker said.  “He had a great temperament on a horse was unfazed on a horse and just had great hands He won three Derbies for us and a Caulfield Cup We had great success together and he’ll be sorely missed in the riders’ ranks.” • Visit the NZ Racing News website Dual G1-winning jockey Kevin Stott joins New Zealand riding ranks Seven Days in Racing: Mystik Dan last of six, death of Uncle Mo, Do Deuce retired, Meydan latest and more … Horses for courses: say hello to racing’s team of popular equine ambassadors View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Champion mare Imperatriz smashed the record sale price for an Australian broodmare as Yulong splashed a cool $6.6 million to land the 10-time group 1 winner at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast on Tuesday Imperatriz wasn’t on the market until she reached the previous record of $5 million as Yulong went head-to-head with Coolmore for the world’s highest-rated mare and sprinter Imperatriz in full flight winning the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley last year Bidding opened at $4 million and stepped up in $250,000 increments until $6.5 million when a final online bid of $6.6 million from Zhijun Zhao “These are rare commodities,” Yulong boss Vin Cox said “There are very few horses that win 10 group 1s Te Akau boss David Ellis described Imperatriz as the best horse he had ever raced, and that was reflected in the record price – which came on the back of Winx’s first filly fetching $10 million at the Inglis Easter Sale The price was further proof of the buoyant Australian thoroughbred market with the sale grossing more than $50 million on its opening day Cox believes Australian mares are now starting to bring their true value “I’ve always thought mares in Australia are undervalued compared to the Northern Hemisphere,” Cox said “If you look at what elite mares can make in America or Europe we’ve always been – in my view – about half price our stallions are probably valued more than they are in the Northern Hemisphere.” Yulong also added TJ Smith Stakes winner Chain Of Lightning to the mix for its Everest slot paying $2.5 million for her earlier in the day There had been talk of a trip to Royal Ascot and perhaps a Tatts Tiara shot for Chain Of Lightning but the Fighting Sun mare is likely to be spelled and race on and bring her back for the spring and see how she shapes up,” Cox said “She has won a pretty big race in the TJ and usually those sprinters run well in the Everest.” Chain Of Lightning was joined by Life Lessons at Yulong with a $1 million price tag to the delight of the owner-breeder of both mares Coolmore continued to expand the top end of its broodmare band buying Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot’s half-sister by Zoustar Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery for $2.7 million and Legacies for $1.4 million Legacies could race on while Platinum Jubilee and Madame Pommery will have dates with Wootton Bassett this breeding season Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter. Champion mare Imperatriz smashed the record sale price for an Australian broodmare as Yulong splashed a cool $6.6 million to land the 10-time group 1 winner at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast on Tuesday. Imperatriz wasn\\u2019t on the market until she reached the previous record of $5 million, set by Milanova in 2008, as Yulong went head-to-head with Coolmore for the world\\u2019s highest-rated mare and sprinter. Bidding opened at $4 million and stepped up in $250,000 increments until $6.5 million when a final online bid of $6.6 million from Zhijun Zhao, a friend of Yulong owner Yuesheng Zhang, did not have a reply. \\u201CThese are rare commodities,\\u201D Yulong boss Vin Cox said. \\u201CThere are very few horses that win 10 group 1s. So she\\u2019s in the top half-dozen, certainly, the top 10 mares of all time. The Zenyattas, the Sunlines, and things like that come to mind, but she punches with there with them.\\u201D Te Akau boss David Ellis described Imperatriz as the best horse he had ever raced, and that was reflected in the record price \\u2013 which came on the back of . The price was further proof of the buoyant Australian thoroughbred market, with the sale grossing more than $50 million on its opening day. Cox believes Australian mares are now starting to bring their true value. \\u201CI\\u2019ve always thought mares in Australia are undervalued compared to the Northern Hemisphere,\\u201D Cox said. \\u201CIf you look at what elite mares can make in America or Europe, we\\u2019ve always been \\u2013 in my view \\u2013 about half price. Conversely, our stallions are probably valued more than they are in the Northern Hemisphere.\\u201D Yulong also added TJ Smith Stakes winner Chain Of Lightning to the mix for its Everest slot, paying $2.5 million for her earlier in the day. There had been talk of a trip to Royal Ascot and perhaps a Tatts Tiara shot for Chain Of Lightning, but the Fighting Sun mare is likely to be spelled and race on. \\u201CWe will probably give her a break, and bring her back for the spring and see how she shapes up,\\u201D Cox said. \\u201CShe has won a pretty big race in the TJ and usually those sprinters run well in the Everest.\\u201D Chain Of Lightning was joined by Life Lessons at Yulong with a $1 million price tag, to the delight of the owner-breeder of both mares, Stuart Ramsey. Coolmore continued to expand the top end of its broodmare band, buying Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot\\u2019s half-sister by Zoustar, Platinum Jubilee, for $3.5 million, Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery for $2.7 million and Legacies for $1.4 million. Legacies could race on while Platinum Jubilee and Madame Pommery will have dates with Wootton Bassett this breeding season. Sports news, results and expert commentary.. Girl power reigned supreme at the 2024 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year awards in Hamilton on Sunday was named Horse of the Year and all five flat racing categories were won by female gallopers Imperatriz also took the sprinter-miler category top filly Orchestral was named as both the champion three-year-old and champion stayer Velocious earned the two-year-old title and Legarto topped the voting in the middle-distance category The only male horse to triumph was West Coast It is the first time this century that fillies and mares have been so dominant were voted trainer of the year and Waikato couple Denise Bassett and John Elstob topped an eclectic group of finalists for owner of the year Elstob and Bassett have been significant investors in Te Akau Racing syndicates and had 45 individual runners during the season While Imperatriz was their main flagbearer they were also part-owners of a second Group I winner and the Group II winners Captured By Love and Ascend The Throne The husband and wife training partnership of Peter and Dawn Williams were rewarded for decades of excellence with the award for an outstanding contribution to racing Peter began his training career in 1975 and Dawn who went on to become the first woman to train 1000 winners in New Zealand They were based in Canterbury for the bulk of their careers but moved north They never had a large team but were rarely without a galloper of note The 1988 Auckland Cup winner Sea Swift was their first major winner and was followed by top sprinter Loader who completed the Railway-Telegraph double in 1996 More recent winners at the top level included the classic-winning fillies Planet Rock and Media Sensation dual Group I winner Shuka and their latest star who made his trainers’ final season a memorable one Imperatriz made an irrefutable case to be named Horse of the Year with an almost perfect Australian campaign The now-retired mare was the most prolific Group I winner in Australasia while no other New Zealand-trained horse managed more than two elite wins New Zealand-trained horses have usually struggled to match the best Australian sprinters but all of Imperatriz’s six wins came at 1200m or less She will be at short odds to be named sprinter of the year in Australia and will also be a contender for the Australian Horse of the Year earned $6.7 million in stakes in the 2023-24 season taking her career earnings to $7.5 million She had a career record of 19 wins from 27 starts and only once finished further back than fourth She was ranked among the best race-mares in the world and added to the returns for her ownership syndicate when sold as a broodmare prospect It was an Australasian record price for a broodmare an international thoroughbred racing and breeding operation She will be mated with the Yulong stallion Pierata this spring Imperatriz’s impact in her final season was further illustrated when she was announced as the recipient of the award for outstanding global achievement which usually recognises the efforts of the human participants Imperatriz dominated the Horse of the Year voting receiving 41 of the 51 votes cast with New Zealand Derby winner Orchestral the runner-up Orchestral was never going to threaten Imperatriz’s hold on the main prize but had a similar profile to Sharp ‘N’ Smart - the 2023 Derby winner and Horse of the Year - and gained all bar two of the votes in the three-year-old section Warren Kennedy was named Jockey of the Year after just his second season in New Zealand The former South African premiership winner made the brave decision to move to New Zealand in his 40s and has been quick to make an impact topped the national premiership in 23-24 and was also the leading rider in terms of domestic stake earnings and black type wins His season included a memorable day at Pukekohe when he rode seven winners at one of the biggest meetings of the year Crafted by Project Diamond Te Akau Racing collected top honours at the 2024 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards on Sunday evening while the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson partnership were Trainer of the Year Te Akau has collected the past four domestic Trainer of the Year awards with Jamie Richards (3) and last year’s record-breaking season by Walker with the latter earning another title last season when training in partnership with Bergerson Bergerson had previously been an assistant trainer for the powerful stable before assuming the role of co-trainer at the start of the 2023/24 term with 169 winners and 21 at Group or Listed level now to his name.  “I’m very fortunate to be in this partnership now and training with Mark and being part of such an amazing enterprise,” Bergerson said “I think we (Walker) have a pretty good relationship we get on really well and bounce ideas off each other he’s a very laidback person and very open He handles adversity very well and never loses his cool “We’re so lucky to be training horses of the calibre that Dave and Karyn syndicate for us it’s going really well and hopefully it can continue “Even speaking to my father (Roydon Bergerson) who has been in the game for a long time he feels it’s the most exciting time to be a part of racing that he has seen hopefully it continues to improve and it’s certainly on the right track and at the moment it’s perfect timing really.” A winner of four Champion Trainer titles in Singapore and now seven in New Zealand Walker recognises the fortunate position he has held at the helm of Te Akau over several years and Sam and I are blessed to get the horses Any trainer in New Zealand getting the yearlings we have would be getting the same results we’re just very fortunate,” he said Te Akau’s sprinting sensation Imperatriz was recognised for a formidable season in Victoria with Champion Sprinter-Miler SENZ New Zealand Horse of the Year and Outstanding Global Achievement all going the way of the superstar mare.  The daughter of I Am Invincible was formidable in what turned out to be her final season on the racetrack winning the Gr.2 McEwan Stakes (1000m) fresh-up before an incredible run of Group One successes Champions Sprint (1200m) and Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) Imperatriz’s final Group One victory was a back-to-back success in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at her beloved Moonee Valley in March and after finishing fourth in the Gr.1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) she was subsequently retired and sold for A$6.6 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale to Yulong Te Akau principal Karyn Fenton-Ellis spoke of Imperatriz in the highest regard who trialled in New Zealand last August before taking on the best sprinters in the land across the Tasman she was always a Kiwi,” Fenton-Ellis said “She was embraced by people on both sides of the Tasman and to see her recognised as a career swansong it’s a great testament to her brilliance she won more Group One races than any other horse in the world she won more (Group Ones) than any other horse in Australasia and was the highest rated sprinter in the world “She’s got quite a few (special people) in her life Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson did an exceptional job throughout her career and prior when Jamie (Richards) was in New Zealand When she transferred over to our Cranbourne stable after trialling here she rode her in trackwork every day and Jason Levin the love he had for her was evident and they were a formidable combination he rode her in all of those Group One races and Michael Dee in the Group Two “It’s easy to love sensational racehorses but the love of the horse is more than Group One wins generous soul who would get under people’s skin.” Imperatriz was raced by the Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing Partnership with members John Elstob and Denise Bassett of JD Bloodstock awarded Owner of the Year with involvement also in the likes of Captured By Love Imperatriz: champion sprinter was bought by Yulong InvestmentsImperatriz the Epsom Derby and Belmont Stakes feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news Australia: The record for the highest price paid for a filly or mare in the southern hemisphere was smashed when 10-time G1 winning sprinter Imperatriz was sold for A$6.6 million ($4.3m) at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on Tuesday [May 28] The world’s best sprinter, who is ranked #4 in the TRC Global Rankings was bought on behalf of Zhijun Zhao’s Yulong Investments they're elite and they don't give Group 1 races away at any level GB: The Aidan O’Brien-trained pair City Of Troy and Los Angeles head 16 runners who will go to post for the Betfred Derby at Epsom on Saturday [June 1] who has already won Britain’s richest Flat race a record nine times is under pressure to deliver a substantial turnaround in form with City Of Troy after he ran poorly in the 2,000 Guineas City Of Troy was rated head and shoulders above his contemporaries last year but now must emulate last year’s winner Auguste Rodin who was fined $2,500 for touching rival Forever Young with his hand as he drove the wayward Sierra Leone to finish second by a nose in a photo-finish to the Kentucky Derby will not ride the colt in the Belmont Stakes [June 7] He has paid the price for a ride at Churchill Downs which trainer Chad Brown said had left him "a bit disappointed" “Going into the second half of the year I just want to try something different,” Brown told DRF.com “Tyler’s done a great job with the horse “But I was a bit disappointed because we sort of left our game plan of having the stick in his left hand particularly during the second half of the race You really can’t wait until the eighth pole to do that I don’t believe the horse would have been coming in if he’d done what he’d done in the previous two races and had the stick in his left hand to give him one reminder.” Sierra Leone is set to meet Preakness Stakes winner Seize The Day at Saratoga as well as Honor Marie, who suffered significant interference in the Kentucky Derby before finishing eighth. Florent Geroux take over the mount after Ben Curtis, who rode the horse in the Kentucky Derby, broke his collarbone in a starting gate accident. More here  Japan: Globe-trotting trainer Yoshito Yahagi will take another shot at winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after selecting Shin Emperor for the challenge Yahagi has conquered every other major jurisdiction but not yet Europe where he sent Stay Foolish to finish 12th in the 2022 Arc. Shin Emperor finished third in the Japanese Derby [Tohyo Yushun]] on his latest start [May 26] could take in the Irish Champion Stakes en route Yahagi said: "I will discuss it with the owner after this but I think we should go for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomph (The jockey) will of course be Rusei (Sakai)." impressive debut winner of the $120,000 Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream Park [May 11] will take on the expenses-paid trip to Royal Ascot [June 18-22} offered with the first prize The George Weaver-trained Crimson Advocate captured the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream before winning the G2 Queen Mary Stakes last year It will be a first visit for Gabaldon's Venezuelan-born trainer Jose D’Angelo who has previously travelled horses to Dubai and Saudi Arabia “I’m feeling so blessed and happy to go to all the places the horses have brought me," he said "For a while my goal was to run there Emisael Jaramillo, Venezuela’s all-time leading rider before establishing himself at Gulfstream Park, will ride Gabaldon at Royal Ascot. More here who led a Hollywood Gold Cup one-two for trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita [May 26] is recovering from surgery after exiting the race with a condylar fracture on his right front foreleg GB: Courage Mon Ami ruled out of Ascot Gold Cup defence More here USA: Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador may return in San Diego More here  USA: Jockey Scott Spieth reaches 5,000-winner mark More here USA: Louisiana Racing Commission relaxes drug rules More here  USA: David Jacobson suspended for 30 days over TCO2 violation More here GB: Charlie Appleby assembles strong team to Belmont Stakes Festival More here • View all previous editions of Seven Days In Racing Home » Archive » Europe » Yulong And Partners Land Imperatriz For Record $6.6 million At Magic Millions  In a move that further illustrates the global prowess of the operation Yulong and partner Zhijun Zhao landed 10-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) for a record A$6.6m (€4,039,810) at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale It was Yulong (and Zhijun Zhao) that saw off the attention of Coolmore for the superstar racemare with the new connections of Imperatriz revealing that the mare would not race on but mating plans were yet to be confirmed “We don't really have any plans just at this moment because you never write your speech before the races We'll get her home and think about where we're going to go with her from there,” said Vin Cox who was trained for the majority of her career by Mark Walker It was Zhijun Zhao who did the bidding online to secure the winning bid who was vocal in the build-up to the sale and even vowed to pay up to $6 million for Imperatriz The previous broodmare sale record set in Australia was $5 million for Milanova back in 2008 — Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) May 28, 2024 Copy Article Link Imperatriz winning at The Valley in Melbourne Champion New Zealand racemare Imperatriz’s last victory has proved to be her most valuable It came at the Magic Millions broodmare sale on the Gold Coast on Tuesday night (NZ time) when the great mare was sold for A$6.6million ($7.14m), an Australasian record for a racemare, with Imperatriz’s future now almost certainly as a broodmare She was purchased by racing and breeding giants Yulong who have been become a gigantic player in the bloodstock world with their Chinese owners investing heavily in the Australian racing industry Yulong’s owners have a particular affection for buying trophy mares and they don’t come much more trophy than Imperatriz She was a A$360,000 yearling purchase who was then syndicated by Te Akau and went on to become one of the best sprinters in the world most of them in the red-hot Australian sprinting scene Imperatriz was retired after a slightly luckless fourth in the T J Smith Stakes on a bog track at Randwick in April sold a few hours earlier at Tuesday’s sale for A$2.5million A veterinary examination soon after that race showed minor signs of wear and tear but Ellis decided retirement was the best option Imperatriz won $7.5 million during her career It is common for most fillies and mares who are raced by large syndicates to be sold at public auction as breeding by committee is logistically very difficult and the auction system establishes a clear market value What stallion Imperatriz will visit this spring is not yet decided but Yulong stand its own stallions in Victoria while she could be crossed with most of the world’s best stallions apart from obviously her own sire I Am Invincible Bidding on her opened at A$4m and quickly reached her A$5m reserve at which point she was on the market and was going to be sold It is believed two of the other giants of world thoroughbred breeding in Arrowfield and Coolmore were also in play at the A$6m mark before Yulong beat them told the Herald he is thrilled for the 14 members of the Imperatriz syndicate and for the New Zealand racing industry have her win A$7m and then be sold for A$6.6m is special for them and us,” said Ellis “But you can’t put a price on the happiness and experiences this horse has given them “We are also proud of what this says for the New Zealand industry People can get into horse racing via syndication and have these amazing results.” but she will soon by flown to Australia and Ellis says that will be an emotional day “Of course it will be sad to see her go but we [Te Akau] put racing syndicates together and not everybody who goes in those syndicates wants to breed horses as well so this is the best and fairest way to sell her “But we are very proud and wish Yulong the best of luck with her as a broodmare.” Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990 He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals The famous blue racing colours rule in Kentucky and England with historic weekend success Home » Archive » Shared News Europe » World-Class Sprinter Imperatriz To Be Sold Virtually At Magic Millions will be offered virtually at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on Tuesday Trained by Jamie Richards at the beginning of her career before Mark Walker took over in Matamata with the last of her 10 Group 1 victories coming at Moonee Valley in March when she won the William Reid S She then finished a close-up fourth in the G1 TJ Smith S at Randwick earlier this month on what would prove to be her final start David Ellis CNZM bought Imperatriz for A$360,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and Te Akau's principal felt it was fitting that the daughter of I Am Invincible (Aus) should be offered as a broodmore prospect at Magic Millions though she will remain at the picturesque Te Akau Stud in New Zealand while the sale unfolds on the Gold Coast in Queensland “Ultimately we decided that she was sold as a yearling at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale–that's where we would go to sell her as a breeding prospect,” Ellis explained She's as beautiful looking a mare as you'd ever see and she's already let down into a beautiful broodmare It is hard to believe just how good Imperatriz looks.” On the decision to sell Imperatriz virtually “We just thought that if people are interested in her they will be over to see her so there was no reason why she shouldn't travel She's sound as anything but it wasn't necessary and Magic Millions are going to do it all online and her live cast for the sale.” “It's hugely exciting for Magic Millions The team here are buzzing about the news; to have been allowed the opportunity by Te Akau Racing David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis to sell Imperatriz is massive “I believe she's the most highly credentialed mare to go to auction in my time in the industry She holds the highest rating in the world for a mare right now With 10 Group 1 wins and sired by our Champion Sire I Am Invincible “I expect interest from all corners of the globe and history could be made here on the Gold Coast from a broodmare-selling perspective.” Copy Article Link wins the Mittys McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley Racecourse Champion trainer Mark Walker says there are two very good reasons he isn’t concerned what he terms “a lacklustre” trial from glamour mare Imperatriz heading into her comeback in the A$1million Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington today Imperatriz was the star of the Victorian spring sprints and is rated by many as the best galloper in Australia but she still flies a New Zealand flag as she has spent much of her career here Imperatriz is odds-on for today’s 1000m burn down the Flemington straight but there was a chorus of doubters after a very casual trial from the great mare on her new home track of Cranbourne last week “The trial didn’t look that flash but she looked after herself like lots of experienced horses can do,” Walker told the Herald “So to give her a trip away and get her mind back on the job we took her to The Valley on Monday and she worked great alongside Sans Doute “After seeing that I know what condition she is in But Walker says there is an even more old-school reason why speed humps like last week’s trial impact him so little “I am not on social media so never read the things people say and don’t hear their opinions,” says Walker “For me I’d love this mare to keep winning because she is such a special horse but Group 1 racing is hard and they can’t win all the time “But I don’t feel an external pressure because I stay away from all that stuff.” Imperatriz meets a small but hot field in the first race of a campaign that could ultimately end with the T J Smith in Sydney and the opportunity to win Australian Horse of the Year “Before her last campaign we thought 1000m was maybe short of her best but she was so good winning major races twice at 1000m including second-up when it is even tougher that she has no excuses at that distance now.” Opie Bosson will head to Flemington to ride Imperatriz meaning he misses today’s Ellerslie meeting which holds the Avondale Guineas and Avondale Cup Walker and training partner Sam Bergerson have three runners in the Guineas the major lead-up to the $1 million Trackside NZ Derby in two weeks Orchestral is a hot favourite for both and should win today but Walker says there isn’t much between his reps “Ascend The Throne has been a different horse since we gelded him and is from a great staying family so maybe he is our best chance “But What You Wish For was every bit as good as him in the Waikato Guineas and I think Tokyo Tycoon is our smokey The Avondale Cup is a real handicap puzzle and you could make a case for 10 different horses to win it based on class which are always a bit of a scramble when 16 of the 20 acceptors have 52.5kgs or less “We are lucky to have Michael McNab on Mehzebeen but he will probably have to ride her 1kg over it is just that hard for us all to get lightweight jockeys She seems to be coming to it at the right time and has a few things in her favour.” The in-form pair of Trust In You and Terra Mitica look two of the hardest to beat both getting in well with the compressed lower half of the handicap right) gets the better of Private Eye to win the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington Photo: Bruno Cannatelli/NZ Racing NewsImperatriz confirmed her status as the world’s top sprinter on turf with her ninth G1 victory as she made her comeback after a summer break in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington on Saturday [Feb 17] Although the five-year-old was sent off odds-on favourite in an eight-runner field for Melbourne’s premier five-furlong sprint Imperatriz was made to work for the victory by a dogged rival in Private Eye The latter made the running at a relatively moderate tempo ceding the advantage only a furlong out and then sticking on gamely before losing by only a head to his exalted opponent the winner’s connections were possibly just relieved she got the win after a questionable recent barrier trial And while she gained only a minor 22pt boost on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings with only Hong Kong star Golden Sixty above her among horses currently in training “Good horses probably save their best for raceday,” said Mark Walker (#17 from #19 who trains Imperatriz for the Te Akau Racing team (#6 from #7 we were really happy with her,” added Walker to do it in the spring and come back and win like that Imperatriz could run next in the Newmarket Handicap back at Flemington on March 9 though the TJ Smith at Sydney’s Championships meeting at Randwick is considered a more probable option Chris Waller-trained Fangirl (#22 from #37 +100pt) was a notable mover last weekend as the mare returned to action with a stunning display at Randwick Fangirl trounced her G2 rivals in the Apollo Stakes where she was produced from the rear of the field by James McDonald (stays at #2 Fangirl cruised past her opponents for an overwhelming victory eased down by 2½ lengths from stablemate Militarize Former Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance returns to the chart at #31 after a comfortable victory in the HH The Amir Trophy $2.5m highlight of the three-day Amir’s Sword International Festival at Al Rayyan in Qatar Rebel’s Romance made all the running under William Buick “It wasn’t Plan A to make the running but Charlie [Appleby] was very keen to go forward from stall 10 and he relaxed lovely in front,” said the jockey “It wasn’t that long ago that he won a Breeders’ Cup Turf and he is somewhere near back to his best.”  The Dubai Sheema Classic is likely next target the admirable Brave Emperor (#83 from #152 +74pt) overcame a decent field to win the $500,000 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup holding Ballydoyle’s Cairo by a neck.  this well-travelled gelding has won ten of 16 career starts among them four Group races; he has now scored in Britain Italy and Qatar and has winning form on all-weather and turf • Unlike traditional methods of racehorse rankings, TRC Global Rankings are a measure of an individual’s level of achievement over a rolling three-year period providing a principled hierarchy of the leading horses owners and sires using statistical learning techniques Racehorse rankings can be compared to similar exercises in other sports like the golf’s world rankings or the ATP rankings in tennis They are formulated from the last three years of races we consider Group or Graded class all over the world and update automatically each week according to the quality of a horse’s performances and their recency • View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires Jamie Richards: Hong Kong is the most difficult place in the world to win a race ‘She wore her heart on her sleeve every time’ – racing mourns Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant ‘He is a really good colt’ – Nysos charges to top of three-year-old charts as Flavien Prat claims Top 3 spot National Treasure takes Pegasus route to world Top Ten Imperatriz fights off Private Eye to win the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington Imperatriz laid to rest doubts stemming from an unimpressive barrier trial in claiming her ninth elite-level win in the Feb 17 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (G1) at Flemington But it was no typical stroll for Ta Akau's 5-year-old mare as Proven Thoroughbreds' redoubtable gelding Private Eye almost pulled off another of his surprise attacks giving the mare's odds-on backers plenty of cause for concern and making her stretch for her long head victory The Joe Pride-trained Private Eye led at Imperatriz's outside under a moderate early pace and was still in front at the 150 meters before Imperatriz clawed her way to the win with Bella Nipotina a head further back in fourth Sign up for BloodHorse Daily Conspicuously kept away from last October's Everest at Randwick Imperatriz has now won six major Melbourne sprints on the bounce taking her earnings through 18 wins in 24 starts to a tick less than AUS$6 million The Lightning win followed her lackluster fifth of seven in an 800-meter Cranbourne barrier trial Feb they probably save their best for race day," Walker said post-race to do it in the spring and come back and win like that." Imperatriz, unlikely to be risked under a massive weight in Flemington's Newmarket Handicap (G1), may now finally return to Sydney, where her only run has been a second to Artorius  in last March's Canterbury Stakes (G1) The Te Akau stable had previously identified Randwick's AU$3 million WFA TJ Smith Stakes (G1) April 6 as her prime target Bosson last spring also urged a trip to Royal Ascot this year who trains Imperatriz in partnership with Sam Bergerson was keeping close counsel on her future after emerging from yesterday's scare "We'll just get her through today and see how she is and come up with a plan going forward," he said Bred by Malaysian businessman Dato Yap Kim San's since-sold Raffles Farm Imperatriz was a AU$360,000 buy for Te Akau's David Ellis at the Gold Coast in 2020 from the group 2-placed winner Berimbau (Shamardal) whose yearling colt by Capitalist sold from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the Gold Coast last month to Lofty Thoroughbred Group/AGR Racing for AU$200,000 Jockey Blake Shinn paid tribute to the versatile 6-year-old Private Eye after the gelding's third group 1 placing to sit alongside his top-tier victory in the Epsom Handicap (G1) in 2021 plus his second and third in the Everests of 2022 and 2023 An AU$62,500 buy for Proven and Pride at the Adelaide Magic Millions yearling sale of 2019 Private Eye has now earned more than AU$9.6 million from 31 starts "The horse ran amazing," Shinn said "There was no pressure early and we ended up leading so it is no disgrace to run where he did." For more Australia and New Zealand racing, sales, and bloodstock news, visit ANZBloodstockNews.com Hopes that eight-time G1 winner Imperatriz would visit Royal Ascot in 2024 have been dashed after connections outlined a stay-at-home programme next year for the world #3 The brilliant five-year-old mare shot to the top of the Royal Ascot wishlist when she won her sixth G1 of the year – more than any other horse on the planet – in the Darley Champions Sprint at the Melbourne Spring Carnival Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis has ruled out any such prospect for Imperatriz who is now back in training with Mark Walker after a short break.  “After careful consideration, the decision has been made that Imperatriz will resume in the Group 1 VRC Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington in February 2024,” said Ellis in a statement on the Te Akau website “She will remain in Australia for her autumn campaign thus will not be travelling to the northern hemisphere.” "We have received a number of international approaches and invitations and have worked diligently through the various options available to our special mare,” Ellis went on “Our guiding principle is to always make decisions based on what is right for Imperatriz and her continued wellbeing while maximising her further opportunities to win at the elite level.” Ellis went on to outline two further G1 races for the daughter of I Am Invincible saying: "Once safely through the Lightning Stakes Imperatriz will defend her MVRC William Reid Stakes crown at the Valley and then contest the ATC TJ Smith Stakes at Royal Randwick in April 2024 “She will then return home to Te Akau Stud for a well-deserved spell,” he went on are very humbled by respect and huge support Imperatriz (Berri as we know her) has attracted The warmth of the welcome wherever she steps out underlines how she has truly endeared herself to the public through her huge heart and will to win.” • Visit the Te Akau Racing website Here’s looking at you, kid! Keith Asmussen surpasses father Steve’s win record as a jockey Japanese superstar Equinox to stand for record freshman fee of ¥20m at Shadai Seven Days in Racing: Danedream put down, Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, Rosehill shock, Frankie Dettori voted out and more … While the thoroughbred racing world paused last night to watch the historic auction unfold on the Gold Coast, the champion horse being bid on was able to watch back here on homesoil in Ngāruawāhia. "Last night while she was going through the ring on a digital basis at Magic Millions, one of the girls, she was showing the horse [the auction] live on her iPad," Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis recalled to 1News. "It was a really wonderful situation." Such is the love and care for Imperatriz at Te Akau Racing, that seeing her sell for A$6.6million [NZ$7.14m] was something to both celebrate and feel with a heavy heart. "She's represented New Zealand on the world stage and been judged the best sprinter in the world," Ellis said. "To do that is an incredible achievement." The title was well earned though, having won 19 races throughout her career including 10 Group One victories, before Te Akau Racing made the stunning announcement last month to retire her after she was found to have wear and tear during her end-of-season veterinary examination. During her racing career she won $7.5 million, meaning last night's record sale will leave her syndicate of owners with more than $14 million in profit, minus expenses. "We bought her for $360,000," Ellis recalled. "We didn't have an owner for her so we put her on our website and she was the last horse that year to sell, we sold the last share in August or September and it's been just the most remarkable story since. "It's been the thrill of a lifetime for her owners." Imperatriz's buyers are breeding and racing giants Yulong out of China, who Te Akau Racing have had dealings with in the past and trust to look after her. "We're really honoured, they're a wonderful organisation headed by one of the best bloodstock minds in the world in Vin Cox," he said. "They've bought a lot of good horses off us in recent years and we're just very proud to have horses at Yulong Stud." The sale adds to an already big year for the New Zealand racehorse community after the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearlings Sales also had record sales in February. The Book 1 session of this year's sales reached a record $80 million from a combined 473 sold horses over the first three days, including one horse alone which went for an historic $1.6 million after a fierce bidding war in the auditorium. Ellis said it was an exciting time for the industry. "We're just really lucky that we've got a government that understands the contribution that racing makes to the general economy in terms of employment and exports. "It's just an incredible time to be in the horse racing industry." Imperatriz ridden by Opie Bosson wins the 3 Point Motors William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley Racecourse in March. (Source: Getty) Retired racemare Imperatriz's future has been secured after setting an Australasian record with her sale at this week's Magic Millions broodmare sale in Australia, but the vending has come with "a mix of emotions" for those who have watched her shine. Danielle Johnson on Imperatriz on her way to winning the Barneswood Farm Eclipse Stakes in 2021. (Source: Photosport) There's plenty of action inside the Sir Patrick Hogan Auditorium. (Source: Supplied) Fillies and festivities: Karaka yearling sales breaks records"This is where the breeders make their money and this is where all the good horses come to be sold." Other Sport Sausage dog rescued after 529 days lost on Aus island Valerie was on a trip to Kangaroo Island with her owners in 2023 when she disappeared World Solemn ceremony in Türkiye marks 110th anniversary of Gallipoli Gathering takes place near a beach where the Anzacs first landed at Gallipoli at dawn on April 25 Man charged over alleged mid-air exit scare on Malaysia-Aus flight The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney was airborne on Saturday when the Jordanian man attempted to open the rear emergency exit Flight turns back to Bali after passenger tries to open door in mid-air Jetstar said that a "disruptive passenger" tried to force open one of the aircraft's doors and was "abusive to our crew" Influencer who took baby wombat from mother apologises Sam Jones posted a statement on her Instagram after she left Australia due to the criticism she received Influencer who snatched baby wombat from mother leaves Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident an "outrage" and the Department of Home Affairs confirmed it was determining whether immigration law had been breached Crime and Justice Southland farming company slapped with fine over effluent discharge 6:55pm Police believe wave of Invercargill robberies, burglaries are linked 6:00pm Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters 5:51pm 'Light' 4.1 magnitude earthquake jolts lower North Island 5:48pm 'Wake up call': Businesses warned over lithium battery fires 5:30pm Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget documents to her personal email 7:30pm 1Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters Explosions heard in 'suspicious' blaze at east Auckland McDonald's Tipene Funerals owners break silence after ex-employee jailed Trump threatens 100% tariff on foreign-made films Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon Retired racemare Imperatriz's future has been secured after setting an Australasian record with her sale at this week's Magic Millions broodmare sale in Australia but the vending has come with "a mix of emotions" for those who have watched her shine While the thoroughbred racing world paused last night to watch the historic auction unfold on the Gold Coast the champion horse being bid on was able to watch back here on homesoil in Ngāruawāhia "Last night while she was going through the ring on a digital basis at Magic Millions she was showing the horse [the auction] live on her iPad," Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis recalled to 1News Such is the love and care for Imperatriz at Te Akau Racing that seeing her sell for A$6.6million [NZ$7.14m] was something to both celebrate and feel with a heavy heart "She's represented New Zealand on the world stage and been judged the best sprinter in the world," Ellis said having won 19 races throughout her career including 10 Group One victories before Te Akau Racing made the stunning announcement last month to retire her after she was found to have wear and tear during her end-of-season veterinary examination During her racing career she won $7.5 million meaning last night's record sale will leave her syndicate of owners with more than $14 million in profit "We bought her for $360,000," Ellis recalled "We didn't have an owner for her so we put her on our website and she was the last horse that year to sell we sold the last share in August or September and it's been just the most remarkable story since Imperatriz's buyers are breeding and racing giants Yulong out of China who Te Akau Racing have had dealings with in the past and trust to look after her they're a wonderful organisation headed by one of the best bloodstock minds in the world in Vin Cox," he said The sale adds to an already big year for the New Zealand racehorse community after the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearlings Sales also had record sales in February The Book 1 session of this year's sales reached a record $80 million from a combined 473 sold horses over the first three days including one horse alone which went for an historic $1.6 million after a fierce bidding war in the auditorium Ellis said it was an exciting time for the industry "We're just really lucky that we've got a government that understands the contribution that racing makes to the general economy in terms of employment and exports Walking around the Karaka Sales Complex south of Auckland this week one might think they were at a festival of some sort with food stalls and drinks at the ready But the omnipresent sound of clip-clopping served as a reminder for what was really taking place — the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearlings Sales It has become considered to be one of the biggest weeks in the New Zealand racehorse calendar with international and domestic buyers on the lookout for the next champion among a catalogue of more than 1000 horses The sales follow on from the Karaka Millions — New Zealand's most lucrative meeting with $4.5 million in winnings this year — although New Zealand Bloodstock managing director Andrew Seabrook described Saturday's races as an "entree" to this week's action "This is where the breeders make their money and this is where all the good horses come to be sold," Seabrook told 1News And those interested parties mean business with the Book 1 session of this year's sales reaching a record $80 million from a combined 473 sold horses over the first three days One horse alone went for an historic $1.6 million after a fierce bidding war in the auditorium Seabrook said half of the Book 1 sales came from Australian buyers while Hong Kong agents were also fairly active "We had a tough couple of years through Covid obviously with the borders closed — none of our international buyers could get here "The New Zealand racing product is going really well Part of the reason New Zealand's reputation was so well recognised was due to stallion strength as well as recent results overseas New Zealand made up 8% of the horses in Australia yet they won 30% of their major races and in Hong Kong we've got the champion sprinter up there And while much of the international action has wrapped up with the closing of Book 1, Kiwi punters looking to get in on the action would still have today and tomorrow to get a taste for the scene both in person or online. there was no obligation to buy a horse at the sales either "A lot of people think they can't come out here and just sit down and watch in the auditorium We love new people to come out and get a flavour of what it's like to watch a horse go through the ring and sell for half a million dollars." But Seabrook added it was not just about the big dollar horses "When you go to a sale and you spend half a million dollars spend a thousand dollars and it might win a million dollars "There's no guaranteed way of success and that's the beautiful thing about the horse racing industry — anyone can get involved and anyone can become a millionaire with a great racehorse." A miniature dachshund missing on South Australia's Kangaroo Island for 529 days has finally been found thanks to a team of rescuers Valerie went on a trip to the island with her owners, Josh and Georgia, in 2023 when she disappeared, 9News reports She was roaming the island alone when she was finally caught in a trap set up by Kangala Wildlife Rescue last night rescuers first attempted to capture Valerie by using clothing from her owners and toys to lure her into a cage Valerie was filmed entering the cage but the door was unable to be closed remotely the rescue team posted to social media last night that they had successfully captured the elusive dachshund after another attempt “After weeks of tireless efforts by Kangala Wildlife Rescue volunteers and partner organisations Valerie has been safely rescued and is fit and well,” Kangala Wildlife Rescue said in a Facebook post “We are absolutely thrilled and deeply relieved that Valerie is finally safe and able to begin her transition back to her loving parents The search for Valerie involved over 1000 volunteer hours and more than 5000km was travelled in private vehicles during the search A passenger has been charged after allegedly trying to open emergency exit doors and assaulting cabin crew staff on a Malaysian flight bound for Australia The 46-year-old was escorted to a seat in the middle of the aircraft but then tried to open another emergency door An airline staff member was assaulted as crew and passengers restrained the man Australian Federal Police officers met the jet after it touched down at Sydney Airport on Saturday night and arrested the allegedly unruly passenger He was expected to appear before court on Sunday and could face up to 10 years in prison after being charged with two counts of endangering the safety of an aircraft and one count of assaulting aircraft crew Police declined to confirm the operator of the disrupted flight but only two passenger planes from Kuala Lumpur landed at Sydney Airport on Saturday night One was a Malaysian Airlines flight and the other was operated by Air Asia Both airlines have been contacted for comment while Sydney Airport has declined to do so AFP Sydney Airport commander Detective Acting Superintendent Davina Copelin said the man's alleged behaviour could have had tragic consequences "Passengers and airplane staff shouldn't have to put up with unruly violent or dangerous behaviour on flights," she said "The AFP will not hesitate to take action against people who engage in criminal behaviour on airplanes especially where this behaviour has the potential to endanger the safety of passengers The incident comes after a Jetstar flight from Bali to Melbourne was forced to turn back on Monday after a woman attempted to open a cabin door. Jetstar Flight JQ34 Forced to Return to Bali After Disruptive Passenger Incident ✈️Flight #JQ34, which departed Denpasar on Monday night (March 31), returned to Bali following the incident. Jetstar confirmed in a statement that the individual was also abusive to the crew.Data… pic.twitter.com/xlzIUjeQFB The woman lifted the door handle early in the flight before a warning signal alerted the crew She was arrested at Denpasar Airport and banned from flying with Jetstar A New Zealand man was also banned and charged after allegedly assaulting a Qantas staff member and two other people at Sydney Airport on Tuesday A Jetstar flight from Bali to Melbourne was forced to turn around on Monday after a passenger attempted to open a plane door as the aircraft flew over the Indian Ocean Flight JQ34 left Denpasar Airport at around 8.40pm (local time) on Monday with more than 200 passengers on board The airline said in a statement to 9News that a "disruptive passenger" tried to force open one of the aircraft's doors and was "abusive to our crew". JQ34 turned around an hour into its flight, according to FlightRadar24, returning to Denpasar Airport where the passenger was arrested. "This sort of unacceptable behaviour will never be tolerated on our flights," an airline spokesperson added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by JACQUELINE FELGATE (@jacquifelgate) Australian radio host Jacqueline Felgate was on board the plane and posted a video to her Instagram account. "Absolutely nightmare. Had to turn around and land back in Bali for her to get arrested. 260 angry and scared passengers. Police escorted her off plane," she wrote in the caption. Another passenger, reality TV star Brooke Jowett, said the woman had been arguing with crew about her seat. The US influencer who faced backlash for taking a baby wombat from its mother in a video posted online has apologised. Sam Jones posted a statement on her Instagram after she left Australia due to the criticism she received, including from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. She claimed she was "concerned it was sick or injured" when she saw the animal lying near the road and stopped to help it. "I have learned from this situation and have realised that I did not handle this situation as best as I should have," Jones said. Explaining that when she ran from the mother laughing, she was not trying to separate the joey but was concerned the wombat would attack her. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sam Jones (@samstrays_somewhere) "The snap judgement I made in these moments was never from a place of harm or stealing a joey "While I was unbelievably excited to see such an amazing animal I looked it over quickly and immediately returned it to its mother "I ensured that the mother and joey did reunite suggesting "to this so-called 'influencer' maybe she might try some other Australian animals Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there" Jones condemned the Australian government's protection of native animals and Albanese’s criticism of her telling him to "take a good look at what is currently being done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces" "The Australian government allows and permits the slaughter of wombats," she claimed so as not to face the wrath that has come upon me A large-scale Southland farming company has been fined $82,500 for discharging effluent in a manner which could have entered waterways Gladvale Farms Ltd committed the offending on two occasions in October 2019 at an Oreti Plains farm The company was sentenced on Monday after being found guilty in February following an August 2024 judge-alone trial Legal action against the company began when Environment Southland alleged the Resource Management Act had been breached through effluent discharge on or into land which could have resulted in the contaminant entering water It was alleged the defendant irrigated at night without monitoring due to employees being off duty The judgement said although it was not necessary to prove the contaminant had entered or impacted the waterway there was sufficient evidence to show it had Steps taken to mitigate against the discharge were not sufficient including using a digger to move effluent further into a paddock Judge Steven told the court that 90 percent of the fine would go to the council Gladvale Farms Ltd operates five dairy farms in Southland with 3700 cows across 3300 acres Stuff has previously reported fines against the company of $27,000 in 2018/19 Police have appealed to the public after two aggravated robberies and a series of burglaries in Invercargill overnight Detective Inspector Stu Harvey said officers were called to a premises on Dee St at around 2.30am on Monday to reports of two people entering a store demanding cash A worker was assaulted but not seriously injured Harvey said an attempted burglary and two burglaries were reported at three further premises on Windsor St Police then received a report that two people had entered a Tay St premises and demanded cash and items Harvey said information suggested the incidents were linked "Two vehicles were seen in the vicinity of some of the incidents "The other vehicle is described as a dark-coloured car," said Harvey "We would like to speak to anyone who saw vehicles fitting these descriptions between 1am and 5am." Anyone with relevant information about these vehicles or those involved should contact police on 105 A magnitude 4.1 earthquake has jolted the lower North Island this afternoon Geonet said the earthquake struck 10km northwest of Levin at 5.16pm at a depth of 37km It described the shaking as "light" with close to 2000 reports from people feeling the tremor by 5.45pm M3.6 quake causing weak shaking near Levin https://t.co/aJM2e4ScOx One Facebook poster said it was "definitely a good one" while another described it as "only little but strange" Horowhenua District Council said it was a "good reminder" to chat about being prepared for earthquakes A large fire which caused "significant damage" to a McDonald's restaurant in east Auckland this afternoon is now being treated as suspicious Emergency services were notified of the fire at around 3pm on Monday Fire and Emergency NZ said the building was "totally involved" in flames by the time crews arrived and Papatoetoe were in attendance at the blaze "Everyone was out at the time and there are no reports of injuries." FENZ said the fire was being treated as suspicious "A fire investigator is attending to determine cause and origin." Pakuranga Rd was closed for nearly two hours in both directions with road users advised to avoid the area "Investigations into the cause of the fire at the McDonalds are underway," police said told 1News he heard a couple of explosions coming from the restaurant as the blaze began He said he heard "one or two" explosions The restaurant was adjacent to a Z petrol station and 250 metres along the same road from Pakuranga College A staff member at the service station said they had closed their fuel pumps and there was "huge fire and huge smoke" coming from the fire The Howick Pakuranga Netball Centre Courts were also closed this evening due to the blaze Auckland Transport said several bus routes Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown thanked emergency services who had been responding to the incident "Please follow the advice of emergency services A McDonald's spokesperson said the McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga had "suffered significant damage" in the fire "Procedures were followed to raise the alarm and safely evacuate staff and customers McDonald’s is assisting emergency services as they begin the investigation into the cause of the fire." The owners of Tipene Funerals have spoken out for the first time after a former long-time employee was jailed for misconduct in relation to burials Francis and Kaiora Tipene told TVNZ's Marae they should have noticed something sooner but said they knew nothing of former employee Fiona Bakulich's offending For the full Marae story, watch on TVNZ+ Fiona Bakulich, 48, a former employee, was jailed for two years and three months and ordered to pay more than $16,900 in reparations over her misconduct The Tipene owners spoke to Marae in their first interview since Bakulich was jailed Francis said he was called to a meeting alongside Bakulich at Waikumete Cemetery by Auckland Council staff Cyclone Gabrielle had badly damaged a mausoleum housing two coffins interred by Bakulich Repairs to the roof necessitated the disinterment of the remains revealing she had not installed the zinc liner required and pocketed the $3000 in cash instead "I just couldn't believe how someone could do that." Bakulich was stood down for six weeks and continued offending upon her return to work The pair said they only discovered she had further defrauded families after her dismissal and I wish we did so we could have acted sooner," Francis said but I'm deeply apologetic to those whānau." Asked how the charges weren't detected in the company's accounting Francis said the transactions were taking place off-site so that's a hard one to swallow." The company would have to "build trust from the bottom up" the pair said of their business' relationship with the community Marae did not receive a response when Fiona Bakulich's lawyer was approached for comment Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album Farewell: ten-time G1 winner Imperatriz has been retired to the paddocks Photo: Bruno CannatelliShock retirement of world #2 Imperatriz Tom Albertrani’s final runner and significant Hong Kong milestones feature in our weekly digest – plus tragic news from Japan New Zealand: Ten-time G1 winner Imperatriz the world’s leading sprinter according to Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings Te Akau Racing’s five-year-old, who sits at #2 overall on TRC Rankings will take up broodmare duties in the spring after winning 19 of 27 career starts for trainer Mark Walker the daughter of I Am Invincible won six G1s in 2023 – more than any other horse on the planet – and has won five G1s during the current Australian season including the Darley Champions Sprint and Lightning Stakes Te Akau principal David Ellis said a veterinary inspection had led to her retirement saying: “The indications are that another high-level racing preparation would not be in her best interests the decision is very straightforward.” “Her tenacity, courage and sheer determination, combined with the sweetest nature you could imagine, have certainly won the hearts of fans worldwide.” More here USA: Frankie Dettori enjoyed the best day of his successful winter stint in southern California on Saturday [April 6] when he rode six consecutive winners on the Santa Anita Derby card shocked the racing world last year when he postponed his intended retirement midway through his supposed ‘farewell tour’ to prolong his career in the US where he won last month’s G1 Santa Anita Handicap on Newgate Highlight of Dettori’s high-profile six-timer was the surprise Santa Anita Oaks success of Nothing Like You after which he treated the crowd to a flying dismount “I don't know how to put it into words,” said the rider The record for wins on a single Santa Anita card is seven, by Laffit Pincay on March 14, 1987. Dettori was only a neck away from equalling the feat when Imagination was beaten a neck by Stronghold in the Santa Anita Derby. More here Japan: The tragic news feared by the Japanese racing community came on Thursday [April 11] when the JRA announced that jcokey Kota Fujioka (right) had succumbed to the injuries he suffered from a fall at Hanshin on April 6.  suffered severe head and chest injuries and had been unconscious since the fall in which he was dislodged from his mount on Hanshin's back straight Fujioka, who rode a career total of 803 JRA winners, stood tenth in this year’s title race with 28 victories. He won the G1 Mile Championship in 2023 on Namur. More here the trainer of brilliant 2006 Preakness winner Bernardini announced his retirement on Saturday [April 6] The former jockey was Cigar’s regular work-rider during the horse’s early time at Bill Mott’s stable before Albertrani moved to Godolphin in the Dubai where he was Saeed Bin Suroor’s assistant during the glory years He returned to the US in 2003 as trainer to Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley team for whom he saddled Bernardini to a three-year-old championship winning the Preakness After two decades as a trainer his in own right, the 66-year-old saddled his final runner with Sterling Silver, fourth in the G1 Madison at Keeneland. He retires with 624 winners to his name. More here takes place on Saturday [April 13] at Aintree with a reduced field of only 34 for safety reasons The reduction in field size is just one of a number of measures introduced over recent years for equine welfare reasons which have seen the fearsome Aintree fences modified and the distance cut to 4m2½f The Grand National comes around only days after Aintree’s owners, the Jockey Club, sparked anger by announcing prize-money cuts set to result in purse reductions totaling £1.5m in the remainder of 2024. More here Hong Kong: The HK racing scene has been marked by some significant milestones in the last week Legendary former jockey Tony Cruz became only the third trainer to reach the 1,500-winner landmark in the region when he saddled Beauty Joy to win the G2 Chairman’s Trophy at Sha Tin on Sunday [April 7].  Only John Moore and John Size have trained more HK winners than Cruz, 67, a former six-time champion jockey in HK. More here On Wednesday night [April 10], six-time champion Zac Purton continued his relentless pursuit of Douglas Whyte’s all-time record of 1,813 wins when he partnered his 1,700th HK winner as part of a treble at Happy Valley. More here Lucky Sweynesse, the star HK sprinter who won the G2 Sprint Cup on Sunday, has fractured a cannon bone and will require surgery. More here USA: Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Master Of The Seas back at Keeneland More here USA: Trainer Phil Schoenthal provisionally suspended for two methamphetamine positives More here Japan: Classic season kicks off as Stellenbosch claims Oka Sho More here GB: British racing launches equine welfare platform More here Australia: Australia: VRC CEO Steve Rosich quits after four years at the helm More here Australia: Waller eyes sixth Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Via Sistina More here Hong Kong: World #1 Golden Sixty heads FWD Champions Day runners More here Imperatriz wins the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley Racecourse It was a red-letter day for the Kiwi trio of Mark Walker as New Zealand's pin-up mare Imperatriz a four-time elite-level winner in her homeland made it a quintet of group 1s with a decisive victory in the March 24 William Reid Stakes (G1) the feature contest on the nine-race card at Moonee Valley Having made her Australian debut in the Canterbury Stakes (G1) at Randwick March 4, Imperatriz was beaten by just a head behind Artorius  having looked the most likely winner until the final 50 yards Dropped back 100 meters to her optimum distance for yesterday's task the 4-year-old was not to be denied under Bosson settling in midfield before making rapid progress nearing the home bend and quickening up in great style down the straight staying on best of all to defeat last year's Manikato Stakes (G1) heroine Bella Nipotina by a decisive length Fellow group 1-winning mares Roch 'n' Horse ran home for third and fourth respectively who took over from now Hong Kong-based Jamie Richards as head trainer of Te Akau Racing last year after an 11-year stint in Singapore had only one previous Australian group 1 win to his name before doubling that tally in Friday's event "We've been a bit unlucky in group 1s so it was great to get that win tonight," said Walker Photo: Mark GattThe winning connections of Imperatriz in the trophy presentation for the William Reid Stakes but to come back so soon and do it was very satisfying "It was a fantastic ride of Opie's as well and he just timed it perfectly "We'll just get her home to Te Akau Stud and get some of that good New Zealand grass into her and give her a break." who was registering his 11th group 1 victory on Australian soil who he has now ridden to four elite-level wins "She's just got an amazing turn of foot," he said "She can get herself out of trouble and she can run out a strong 1,400 (meters) so 1,200 (meters) wasn't going to be too much of a problem I got back probably a couple of spots further than I wanted to but I ended up getting a nice drag into the race and she did the rest really." Imperatriz was purchased for AU$360,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Te Akau principal David Ellis from the Bhima Thoroughbreds consignment She is the best of two winners to come out of the winning group 2-placed Shamardal mare Berimbau herself a half sister to dual stakes winner Vinco An elated Opie Bosson and Kayrn Fenton-Ellis return to scale with Imperatriz after the Darley Champions Sprint at Flemington Photo: Bruno CannatelliWorld #4 Imperatriz has gone from an international unknown to world-renowned sprinter by winning six G1s – more than any other horse – in 2023 If the Australians just across the Ditch didn’t know how good Imperatriz was just a few months ago it was perhaps understandable that the multiple G1-winning mare was not given due respect north of the equator a land traditionally known for its distance pedigree and list of champion stayers from Carbine to Phar Lap and Rising Fast she had won four G1 races before she had her first Australian run including runaway wins against Australia-proven opposition in two of NZ’s best sprints but somehow she needed to prove herself all over again It didn’t take her long though – four runs to be precise – before most Australians and, by extension, the world knew Imperatriz was something quite exceptional. While Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings were definitely aware of the superstar and had her highly placed the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) still somehow had her outside the Top 50 after seven G1 wins you can underline the words ‘most Australians’ because some keyboard warriors and a few form analysts who ought to have known better said she still hadn’t beaten the best Sydney sprinters she had outclassed world-ranked I Wish I Win in their three-year-old season and who had just taken care of heavyweight Sydney sprinter and Everest winner Think About It In winning her fourth Australian G1 contest in the Darley Champions Sprint at the Melbourne Cup Carnival Imperatriz showed those who hadn’t watched her career unfold in NZ that she was no one-dimensional galloper She had won the time-honoured William Reid Stakes in the southern autumn before spelling then resumed to come from behind and thrash superstar Giga Kick over the Moonee Valley 1,000 metres in September She backed that up with two more soft G1 wins at the Valley but still had the doubters thinking she was just a one-course specialist where the flying mare looked a sitting duck on a furious pace over the testing straight 1,200m at Flemington and just defied all challenges The other three runners on the pace dropped out Imperatriz, current world #4 on TRC Rankings and behind only the now-retired US dirt star Elite Power among sprinters was the only horse in the world to win six G1 races in 2023 The question for those ‘many Australians’ and sundry others further abroad was where had this exceptional five-year-old mare been by I Am Invincible out of Berimabu – but she started her racing career with a win at Otaki in November 2020 for the ultra-powerful Te Akau team and multiple champion trainer Jamie Richards it is probable that anyone who bothered to watch racing out of the Shaky Isles would have marked her down as one of that country’s all-time greats even before she ever raced in Australia the level of her improvement has surprised even trainer Mark Walker who took over the Te Akau string from Richards “We knew she was up to it before she won the William Reid last season but she’s just gone to another level since then,” says Walker who has had Imperatriz under his wing for the most recent seven of nine career wins at the top level but she’s definitely improved again,” he goes on “I was still training in Singapore in her early days but I knew her reputation and that I was getting a pretty smart filly when I arrived at Matamata I didn’t expect what I got though.” While the exchanges had Imperatriz as nominal favourite for the 2024 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, she was ruled out as early as December in favour of an Australian campaign the one given is that she’s probably raced herself out of NZ sprints where prize-money is well below the world-leading money available in Melbourne and Sydney Imperatriz is currently spelling at Walker’s new Australian base in Cranbourne Victoria and with more than a dozen set-weight Australian G1 sprints – and the Everest – all worth more than the Royal Ascot contest the decision to stay down under wasn’t necessarily all that tricky “I think 1200m to 1400m is her best distance,” Walker says “She can run a mile but there’s no need to stretch her out to that trip again There’s too much prize-money in the sprints in Australia.” Whether Imperatriz was headed overseas or staying in Australia nobody was getting legendary Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson out of the saddle “You don’t ride many with the turn of foot she’s got,” says the rider who recently celebrated his 2,000th winner at home “It takes a very good horse to measure up against the best Australian sprinters “We’ve known how good she is for a while but she just had to overcome a few niggling problems But we had her 100% for the Melbourne Spring and she showed what she can do.” Imperatriz has really performed poorly in only two starts – and there were fair excuses both times She ran fourth on a ‘Heavy’ 10 track in the 2022 Tarzino Trophy at Hastings then pulled up sore when eighth in the Arrowfield Stud Stakes at Matamata.  To put things in perspective for the Hastings defeat a double-figure heavy track in NZ is as testing as it gets anywhere and Bosson admits he rode the mare ‘upside down’ Those runs were back in September and October 2022 but hadn’t furnished into the superstar she became months later They were the last times she didn’t perform Imperatriz has won all three of her NZ races including the time-honoured Railway and Waikato Sprints Then she went to Australia and was beaten an inch after looking home in a G1 contest at Randwick before reeling off five straight wins “She’s a stronger horse now she’s over her issues,” says Bosson she just switches off in her races and when you want her to go “That temperament is why she was able to be on the pace in the Champions Sprint and respond so strongly when I heard the other horse [Buenos Nachos] coming But she heard him too and had no trouble holding him “It would have been nice to show the world what she can do but there’s too much to race for in Australia She’s the best sprinter I’ve ridden she’s probably still getting better and we’re just so excited about the year ahead.” Imperatriz is the latest in a long line of exceptional New Zealand mares over the past decade Melody Belle and Probabeel were all mares who were dual NZ Horse of the Year winners between 2016 and 2022 All three were G1 winners in Australia as well Trained in the same yard as Imperatriz in the Jamie Richards era before the all-conquering handler went to Hong Kong Melody Belle established herself as one of the country’s all-time greats by winning a record 14 NZ G1 races Probabeel won four G1s in Australia before injury ended her career while Bonneval won Oaks in both NZ and Australia The tradition of great NZ mares is showing no signs of abating While Imperatriz was dominating sprint fields in Australia and New Zealand Prowess and Legarto were also winning G1 races against over longer trips on both sides of the Tasman Legarto is a NZ Thousand Guineas winner at Riccarton who showed her class by winning the Australian Guineas at Flemington in the 2023 Australian autumn She returned to Australia in the spring but had no luck in the A$10m Golden Eagle at Rosehill Prowess won G1 races as a short-priced favourite in both countries earlier in 2023 She returned to Melbourne to win the G2 Waterford Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day after a late start to her preparation ruled out a run in the big race itself La Crique started one of the shortest-priced favourites in the history of the time-honoured NZ Derby before being grabbed late by rank outside Asterix she slammed a G1 weight-for-age field in the Arrowfield Stud Stakes at Matamata and as a rare talent whose progress has been interrupted by wet tracks Despite racing in the same era as Imperatriz outstanding mare Levante has been able to win four G1 sprints in her homeland and was twice unlucky when fourth in successive races at Flemington.  While the now six-year-old mare should have won at least one of them the horse that took home the prize was also a NZ mare Roch ’N’ Horse went to Australia as a perennial bridesmaid back home and won Flemington’s G1 Newmarket Handicap in march 2022 at cricket-score odds then returned later in the year to pick up the Champions Sprint – beating none other than former world #1 Nature Strip the real hard-luck story applies to brilliant sprinting mare Babylon Berlin She looked home in the 2023 Railway Stakes but was beaten a head by the fast-finishing Imperatriz then finished second again to the champion and Levante in her next two G1 starts NZ was producing exceptional mares well before Melody Belle was setting records with the immortal Sunline proving herself world-class at the turn of the century with two Cox Plates and a Hong Kong Mile amongst her greatest victories.  But it is doubtful there’s ever been a time in the nation’s history when so many exceptional mares were racing at the same time • Visit the Te Akau Racing website A year in horse racing – revisit our most popular stories of 2023 Royal Ascot ruled out for star sprint mare Imperatriz as Aussie campaign is outlined for 2024 Aussie champion trainer David Eustace excited to chase long-held Hong Kong ambitions Taking the reins at the race that stops a nation – interview with Melbourne chief exec Steve Rosich What They're Thinking: David Ellis – What you need is passion, hard work, determination, drive, innovation, attitude Just as she did time and time again on the racetrack Te Akau’s ten-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz delivered an impressive result in the sales ring smashing the Australasian record on Tuesday for the highest-priced mare sold at auction International heavyweights battled it out for the right to own the world’s highest-rated sprinter and recently retired champion mare a close friend of Yulong owner Yuesheng Zhang prepared to pay A$6.6 million (£3.44m/€4.05m) for the privilege of owning the recently retired mare who was sold in absentia at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale the most expensive of five mares to sell for A$2m or more during the Gold Coast’s race fillies and mares more than seven-hour session which grossed almost A$52m The bidding on Imperatriz opened at A$4m and progressed in A$250,000 increments to A$6.5m when Coolmore Australia principal Tom Magnier held the bid for the rising six-year-old mare Zhao responded to auctioneer Steve Davis’ urgings by placing the A$6.6m winning online bid It was soon evident that Imperatriz was heading to Victoria when Magnier hung up the phone ending the high-stakes duel for a rare equine commodity forcing the Coolmore army to be content with its A$7.6m spend on three prized fillies and mares earlier in the session headed by Platinum Jubilee the half-sister to this year’s Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot There were three players bidding on Imperatriz above A$6m – Zhao Magnier and the Arrowfield table which included Northern Farm representative Shingo Hashinoto – in the hope of securing her Zhao’s representative Vin Cox believes Imperatriz’s race record puts her on a pedestal alongside some of the world’s greatest ever race mares “There are very few horses that win ten Group 1s so she’s in the top half-dozen," he said "Certainly in the top ten mares of all time and things like that come to mind and she punches up there with them.” Imperatriz’s price surpasses the 2008 record held by Milanova who made A$5m to Coolmore ,while she also broke Magic Millions’ own National Sale record of A$4.2m for champion sprinter Sunlight former managing director of Magic Millions reasoned that the prices paid for Australasia’s premier race mares off the track were now catching up to what similarly performed horses realise in the northern hemisphere “I’ve always thought mares in Australia are undervalued compared to the northern hemisphere,” he said our stallions are probably valued more than they are in the northern hemisphere “It has always intrigued me having spent a lot of time in the northern hemisphere that our mares don’t get to these levels A A$360,000 Magic Millions purchase in 2020 by Te Akau’s David Ellis Imperatriz was victorious in 19 of her 27 starts emerging from a successful two-year-old season to win the Levin Classic and the New Zealand Breeders’ Stakes at three But it was at four when Imperatriz truly came into her own the BCD Sprint and the William Reid Stakes at her second Australian start in what would be her final racing campaign the Mark Walker-trained Imperatriz won the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes and a second William Reid She retired the winner of A$6,955,527 in prize-money Ellis and his wife Karyn have been playing host to numerous prospective buyers who have visited Te Akau Stud in New Zealand to inspect Imperatriz enjoying the Te Akau hospitality last week while casting his eye over Imperatriz “She’s in the paddock at the farm at the moment; it is dark right now at Te Akau,” said David Ellis who was seated ringside to watch the drama unfold “The young lady who looks after her is in the paddock and she had an iPad and was showing Imperatriz being sold We’ve got a photo of it so it is quite priceless Zhijun Zhao also bought recent TJ Smith Stakes winner Chain Of Lightning for A$2.5m and the mare’s new owner is almost certain to resist the temptation to campaign her in the UK the striking grey mare Chain Of Lightning is set to stay in Australia with her new owners strongly considering concentrating on the remainder of the Queensland Winter Carnival rather than taking up an invitation to race at Royal Ascot who will consult with the mare’s senior trainer Peter Moody suggested that the top hats and tails would likely remain in the cupboard “I don’t know if we’ll put her on the plane to go to Europe at this stage,” he said but there are some good options here in Australia as well The Stradbroke Handicap and the Tatt’s Tiara is the preferred option for the rising six-year-old following her breakthrough TJ Stakes success and in doing so becoming the first mare to win the race since Black Caviar in 2013 She subsequently ran sixth in last month’s All Aged Stakes before heading north to Queensland for the Doomben 10,000 in which she finished sixth behind Bella Nipotina Chain Of Lightning has been nominated for the King Charles III Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes while she also holds a nomination for the July Cup at Newmarket A homebred for Turangga Farm’s Stuart Ramsey and sold through the Kenmore Lodge draft she is a daughter of Magic Art and a granddaughter of Group 3-winning juvenile Mardi’s Magic She is also from the same family as champion three-year-old Racing To Win and last season’s MRC Autumn Stakes winner Glint Of Silver Cox added: “There is a little bit of serendipity having bought the grandmother – I sold him the grandmother “As a private agent we drove down to Boscobel Stud to buy her A matter-of-fact Ramsey didn’t let sentiment get in the way of selling his mare just as he did when he parted with Champagne Cuddles for A$2m at the same Gold Coast sale in 2020 Ramsey also sold Rose Of Kingston winner Life Lessons who is a daughter of Group 3 winner Brockman’s Lass with that mare also going the way of Zhijun Zhao “That’s the sort of money those mares are worth they don’t come along very often – we’re happy to move on and breed the next one,” Ramsey said of Chain Of Lightning we couldn’t even get her mother into the sale As for potential matings for Chain Of Lightning when she is eventually retired Cox said: “When they win the Group 1 sprints and she has got a very good race record as well so whether you’re selling them or trying to produce a racehorse out of them The most expensive of Coolmore’s Gold Coast haul was A$3.5million Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes winner Platinum Jubilee with the stallion farm’s shuttler Wootton Bassett already earmarked as her maiden mating As well as being a sibling to her stablemate and Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly is also a half-sister to multiple Group 3 winner Queen Of The Ball Platinum Jubilee was runner-up in both the Group 2 Silver Slipper and the Magic Millions 2YO Classic to go with her Group 3 victory “Obviously the mother has done more than most will ever hope to do; she’s the dam of a Golden Slipper winner [and] all first three foals are Group winners,” said Coolmore’s Tom Moore “This particular filly won her Gimcrack on debut and she’s the type of filly that we want to home in on to send to stallions like Wootton Bassett “We think that she can produce a commercial yearling hopefully a top-class two-year-old in the future and she was one of the mares here that we really wanted to get home.” Champagne flows after Madame Pommery realises A$2.7m The 2022 Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery will also be covered in her first season at stud by Wootton Bassett who has been a revelation in Europe from humble beginnings His first crop southern hemisphere-bred yearlings will race next season who won at two and was also twice placed at Group 2 level during her 18-start career was a A$150,000 purchase by her trainer Chris Waller and agent Guy Mulcaster at the 2021 Magic Millions Yearling Sale for a women’s only syndicate put together by the trainer’s client relations manager Sophie Baker Such was the nervous anticipation ahead of the selling of Madame Pommery Baker was unable to watch the sales ring theatre unfold revealing: “I haven’t been able to to watch her for about half an hour” an emotional Baker said after Madame Pommery fetched A$2.7m: “We’ve got so many loyal supporters behind us she’s won A$800,000 and she’s done this today they’ve had a few champagnes – especially a lot of Pommery – and they’ll be celebrating tonight.” The rising five-year-old mare is a daughter of dual winner Cancel the sister to Blue Diamond-winning champion two-year-old Earthquake which makes her a half-sister to the New Zealand Group 3-placed Moet Down Hailing from a deep Godolphin-developed pedigree Madame Pommery’s family also features stakes winners Pandemic Palomares and the black type-placed Sumatra Namazu and this season’s stakes-placed juvenile Trembles we’ve obviously got a lot of No Nay Never fillies at home and they’re good producers,” said Magnier Chris Waller did a great job and Sophie Baker is a big help to our team and she’s a superstar and I was delighted for her and all her connections.”  Coolmore partnered with Victorian breeder Rob McClure to buy Rosemont Stud’s stakes-winning juvenile Legacies as a racing and breeding proposition for A$1.4m who is in training with Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman could tackle the Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara at Eagle Farm in late June “I’ve never had such belief in a stallion like I have in Justify; that is well known,” said Coolmore confidant James Bester a fabulous hip on her and the most awesome action She has a huge overstep reaching out in front quite my idea of the best physical specimen at the sale.” Subscribe to make sure you never miss updates from Australia New Zealand and beyond and to have ANZ Bloodstock delivered to your inbox every day Published on 28 May 2024inANZ Bloodstock Copyright © 2025 Spotlight Sports Group Limited or its licensors Star Kiwi mare Imperatriz has once again showed what a blistering turn of speed she has with a sizzling finish to comfortably claim the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on Friday night Having opened her Australian Spring campaign with a similarly stunning performance to win the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at the inner-city venue a fortnight ago the five-year sprint sensation blitzed her rivals with another lightning quick home straight dash Settled near the rear as a strong tempo was set by Zoustyle rider Opie Bosson launched his claim as he circled runners approaching the home bend the Mark Walker-trained daughter of I Am Invincible set out after Asfoora gliding past her close to home to score by a widening one length margin Imperatriz set a new 1000m track record of 56.47 bettering her own mark set a fortnight ago Walker was thrilled with the performance as he paid tribute to Bosson and his staff both at Te Akau’s new Cranbourne stable and back in Matamata “It was a great effort tonight as she hits a little flat spot during her races but once she came up underneath Opie at the top of the straight you could see what was going to happen,” Walker said “I knew they would run along a fair bit and Opie doesn’t panic This mare is keeping Opie’s weight down and keeping him in the saddle “It’s always a relief (to see her repeat the dose) when you are second up at 1000m so it was a great team effort by Ben (Gleeson Assistant Trainer) and the staff at Cranbourne and also the people back in Matamata as well.” Imperatriz will now be aimed at the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on October 28 followed by the Gr.1 Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on November 11 with Walker again reiterating that there will be no tilt at the A$20 million The Everest (1200m) “She will go to Manikato and then the Champions Sprint,” he said “The mare is so happy here (in Melbourne) and I don’t see any reason to put her on a float when she is just loving it here.” who claimed the 92nd Group One victory in an illustrious career to date said Imperatriz had been quite fresh prior to the start “She is definitely the best sprinter I’ve ridden,” he said “She was a bit fresh and tried to buck me off before the start “She is pretty easy to ride and I just kept her away from the barrier to keep her mind off the start “It’s an amazing feeling when she lets down and it’s onwards and upwards from here.” Bred by Malaysian businessman Dato Yap Kim San’s Raffles Farm Imperatriz caught the eye of Te Akau’s David Ellis who secured her for A$360,000 as a yearling Imperatriz has now won 15 of her 21 starts with six at Group One level and over A$2.34million in prizemoney Champion mare Imperatriz may race again when sold Managing owner David Ellis accepts his champion mare Imperatriz’s racing days may not be over should her new owner want to put her back into work after her sale this month The 10-time Group 1 winner will be auctioned at the Magic Millions Sale on May 28 although she won’t be on the Gold Coast but back in her paddock in Waikato The sale will attract industry attention worldwide as mares of Imperatriz’s record rarely go up for public auction it was supposed to be as a breeding prospect But it appears those lines may be a little more blurry then first thought Imperatriz was retired soon after her slightly luckless fourth in the TJ Smith in Sydney in April having completed the end-of-season veterinary examination many elite horses undergo Ellis is adamant there was nothing structurally wrong with Imperatriz barring the general wear and tear most top-level horses show but their veterinary advice was a broodmare career was her best path She was then going to have to be sold before starting her broodmare career as it is impractical to breed from a mare as a large syndicate and Ellis said his intention was to sell her as a broodmare But that plot thickened yesterday when huge-spending US owner John Stewart said he is willing to pay up to A$6 million for Imperatriz Stewart was the underbidder on the yearling daughter of Winx which sold for A$10m in Sydney last month He told Australian racing website Racenet on Monday that he thinks Imperatriz will probably fetch between A$5m and A$6m at the auction and he would be willing to pay the latter figure “She fits right in to what I’m looking for,” said Stewart I think she goes for between A$5m and A$6m A$6m probably buys her and I’d be willing to pay that for her.” Their intention is to retire her but we’d talk to the trainers and see what they wanted to do.” Ellis says while Imperatriz is being offered as a broodmare and they would not race her there is no horse welfare or health issues that would stop her racing again “The decision to retire her was made because of wear and tear but we also realise that whoever is lucky enough to buy her has the option to put her back in training,” Ellis told the Herald “Whoever buys her is buying a very special horse and a very valuable one so I’m sure they will be surrounded by good people “I realise if a racing career was considered it would be with a leading trainer and you’d trust that person to make the right decisions based on how she was “There’s nothing that would stop her racing on so if that’s what happens I’m sure she’ll be in good hands.” Stewart has struck up an association with expat Kiwi trainer Chris Waller in Sydney and while there is no guarantee Stewart will end up owning Imperatriz if he does and the glamour mare ends up in Waller’s care she would race again only if 100 per cent sound Rated Australia’s best sprinter at the time of her retirement she would soon be snapped up by a slot holder for The Everest at Randwick in October She could potentially go into The Everest with only one but at most two lead-up runs compete for A$20m and then go to stud in the spring and be retired early next year without overtaxing her physically But before any of those possibilities become anything bordering on reality Imperatriz has to be sold and her new owners divulge their plans The next chapter of the Imperatriz story should be a lot clearer by the evening of May 28 A ten time Group I winner and one of the world’s best sprinters Imperatriz was always going to be a show-stopper at Magic Millions National and even though she was back at home in New Zealand rather than walking the ring at the Gold Coast the daughter of I Am Invincible brought the auditorium to a standstill while she was sold Imperatriz sells for $6.6 million to @YulongInvest at the @mmsnippets National Broodmare Sale! pic.twitter.com/pCnpmOLXNx The best horse to carry the Te Akau tangerine Imperatriz won 19 of 27 starts earning just shy of $7million in a career that started with a pre-Christmas juvenile win at Otaki in November 2020 At her third start as a spring three year-old she beat a Savabeel gelding called I Wish I Win to win the Group III Northland Breeders Stakes at Te Rapa and what nobody knew then was that they had just seen the two best sprinters in Australia A two time Group I winner at 1600m at three Imperatriz found her true calling when dropped back to sprinting as an older mare and when sent to Australia in March last year cut a swathe through our sprinters starting 10 times here for seven wins two seconds and a fourth in her final appearance Bidding for Imperatriz opened at $4million and duly surged past the old record price for an Australian broodmare sold at auction set by Milanova She was finally knocked down to Zhijun Zhao for $6.6million and will join another Te Akau super star in Melody Belle who is also now in Yulong ownership after being purchased from this sale in 2021 for $2.6million Imperatriz has given her Te Akau owners the full fairytale experience having been purchased for $360,000 by David Ellis at the 2020 Magic Millions from Bhima Thoroughbreds Her dam Berimbau was also bought by Yulong at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale last year for $1.8million and produced a colt for them last spring by I Am Invincible and she is now in foal to Pierata Her half-sister by Fastnet Rock called Cabaca was purchased at this sale last year as a racing proposition by Bruce Perry Bloodstock for $460,000 and runs in the Cressfield colours at Canterbury on Wednesday Star mare Imperatriz (Opie Bosson) wins her sixth G1 of 2023 in the Darley Champions Sprint down the Flemington straight Photo: Racing Photos / VRCThe spotlight was on Australia last weekend where New Zealand’s sprint queen Imperatriz (#5 from #6 +68pt) regained her place in the world’s top five on Saturday [Nov 11] as she recorded the eighth G1 win of her stellar career The brilliant five-year-old mare ran out a dominant winner of the six-furlong Darley Champions Sprint on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington as she scored by a half-length over Buenos Noches +83pt)  for the powerful Te Akau Racing team (stays at #7 Imperatriz’s career record now stands at a formidable 17 wins from 23 starts She has won six G1s in 2023 – no other horse has won more than four – and would be unbeaten during the calendar year but for the short-head she went down to Artorius in the G1 Canterbury Stakes in Sydney in April Imperatriz is now rated the #1 overseas target for Royal Ascot next summer – as Nick Smith “She goes straight to the top of the list,” he said "She's really exciting and looks a reasonably straightforward horse – she’s the ideal type It's definitely one step at a time but there has been some interest expressed.” +53pt) added: “I would love to see her go to Ascot and show the world what she can do She is a top-class sprinter and has just beaten a strong field there.” +120pt) completed a rare double with her second G1 win in the space of eight days Having landed the Empire Rose Stakes a week earlier she followed up with another runaway win in the Kennedy Champions Mile under expat jockey Declan Bates.  Royal Ascot has also been mentioned for the six-year-old who mastered a strong field in the A$3m contest Former world #1 jockey James McDonald (stays at #3 +15pt) landed his third G1 win at the carnival on Atishu (#100 from #271 Japan’s big race of the weekend was the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for fillies and mares at Kyoto racecourse won by rapidly improving three-year-old filly Brede Weg (#116 from #1076 who justified favouritism in a 15-runner field Breeders’ Cup winners swamp top ten as ‘world championships’ lives up to billing – led by Elite Power and Cody’s Wish Inside the TRC Rankings machine at the Breeders’ Cup and the Melbourne Cup ‘He is the perfect horse’ – Japanese superstar Equinox confirms world #1 status with track record in Tokyo ‘What a horse!’ – Big Rock joins world top ten with wide-margin Ascot triumph ‘The best two-year-old I’ve trained’ – Aidan O’Brien on European rankings leader City Of Troy Shape of things to come: an artist’s rendering of Belmont Park’s forthcoming new look Courtesy of NYRA / PopulousA timeline for the Belmont Park redevelopment program a Preakness purse boost and a no-go for Constitution Hill feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news USA: A timeline schedule was published this week for the Belmont Park redevelopment programme with the storied venue set to reopen for business in 2026 Artist’s renderings of how the new Belmont will look were also released “The new Belmont Park will be a thoroughly modern racing and entertainment facility that will take its place on the global stage among iconic venues like Ascot and The Curragh,” said NYRA chairman Marc Holliday said in a press release With ambitions to host the Breeders’ Cup in 2026, the revamped Belmont will have a capacity of 50,000. The track’s signature event, the Belmont Stakes, is to be run at Saratoga in 2024 and 2025. More here USA: This year’s Preakness Stakes will be worth a total of $2m as part of a G1 revamp from 1/ST Racing who have also announced a $5m bonus series linking three of their showpiece races is rebranded as the California Crown and becomes the $1m second leg of a series also featuring the 149th Preakness and the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January 2025 Australia: Darley has announced the retirement of leading global stallion Exceed And Excel after a 20-year career at stud the dual G1-winning son of Danehill has sired more than 200 individual stakes winners; he is the only Australian-bred sire in history to achieve the feat he is responsible for three G1 winners in Europe including last year’s 1,000 Guineas winner Mawj “He was one of the first reverse shuttle stallions – we shuttled him to England and Ireland,” said Darley Australia’s head of stallions, Alastair Pulford, speaking to ANZ Bloodstock News. “His influence has been outstanding in both hemispheres.” More here GB: Trainer Nicky Henderson has admitted defeat in his race against time to get unbeaten superstar hurdler Constitution Hill back to full fitness ahead of the Cheltenham Festival The four-day jump racing jamboree begins on Tuesday [March 12] with a seven-race card featuring the Unibet Champion Hurdle last year’s winner Constitution Hill will not defend his crown after unsatisfactory blood tests following a disappointing workout last week at Kempton In his absence, the 2023 runner-up State Man will start favourite for omnipotent Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who has a multitude of leading chances over the four days. More here Australia:World #3 Imperatriz will have to emulate the great Black Caviar’s weight-carrying achievement if she is to maintain her G1-win spree in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on Saturday [March 9] Black Caviar, who retired undefeated after 25 starts, won the time-honoured six-furlong event under 58kg (9st2lb) in 2011 – the same topweight that Imperatriz is set to carry against 12 rivals as she bids for her seventh consecutive victory and her tenth G1 win overall. More here Royal Ascot possible Espiona misses the Newmarket in favour of the G1 Canterbury at Randwick on Saturday. More here Bahrain: Isle Of Jura bids to cap a memorable season in Bahrain on Friday [March 8] when he lines up for the King’s Cup at the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club The George Scott-trained four-year-old has won three of his four starts in Bahrain including the prestigious Crown Prince’s Cup and the HH Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup Regular rider Callum Shepherd takes the reins again as the Victorious Racing gelding bids for a hat-trick of major races in the space of five weeks. “Isle Of Jura is the best middle-distance horse I’ve ridden and he’s got the potential to improve still further,” said the jockey Opposition includes last year’s winner Passion And Glory, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, plus two more Godolphin runners in the Charlie Appleby-trained pair Dhahabi and King Of Conquest. Lucander represents George Baker while the home team is led by Goemon and in-form Sovereign Spirit. More here USA: Death of colorful track announcer Larry Lederman at 67 More here GB: Guineas entries headed by City Of Troy More here GB: 36-day whip ban for jockey Marco Ghiani More here GB: Great British Racing CEO Rod Street steps down More here Japan: Eskendereya dies at stud aged 17 More here New Zealand: Record sixth NZ Derby for Roger James with impressive Orchestral More here Hong Kong: Golden Sixty on way back More here Hong Kong: Japanese G1 target for sprint star Victor The Winner More here Home » Archive » Europe » Imperatriz Tops Royal Ascot Wishlist Imperatriz | Bronwen Healy/The Image is Everything Representatives from Ascot have made star New Zealand mare Imperatriz (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) the top of their wishlist for the Royal Ascot meeting in June next year Ascot's Director of Racing and Public Affairs said he believes Te Akau Racing's crown jewel would be perfect for either the G1 King's Stand S “She's showing a lot of consistency and that's what you want with travelling horses,” Smith commented “A lot of the horses that have one good run and jump on the plane aren't as successful But you know she's the best horse and she suits all sorts of circumstances she'll go to the top of the market.” While Smith also added that he'd briefly spoken to Imperatriz's connections about the possibility he included that those discussions were at a very early stage “It's definitely one step at a time but there has been some interest expressed.” Copy Article Link Imperatriz wins the Champions Sprint at Flemington Racecourse Opie Bosson said he'd "love to" take on the world's best sprinters at Royal Ascot with Imperatriz after the mighty mare entered the history books by completing Melbourne's spring group 1 sprint treble Nov Ta Akau Racing's awesome 5-year-old took her earnings past AU$5.3 million and followed her effortless wins in the Moir Stakes (G1) and Manikato Stakes (G1) with a third straight top-tier success in Saturday's Champions Sprint (G1) Stand and salute the world’s leading G1 winner of 2023 👏Her name is IMPERATRIZ 🧡💙@FlemingtonVRC | @TeAkauRacing | #競馬 pic.twitter.com/YmhakeVW82 with the other two group 1s on the Flemington card the Champions Mile (G1) and Champions Stakes (G1) going the way of Pride Of Jenni and Atishu respectively.  Bred by the New South Wales wing of New Zealand entity Raffles Dancers and bought by Te Akau from Bhima Thoroughbreds' draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for AU$360,000 Imperatriz is the most prolific top-level winner on the planet in 2023 with six wins at the highest level to her name she became the first horse to win Melbourne's trio of major sprints in one spring putting her name above some stars who came up short even before all three had top-level status Manikato himself won the then-group 2 Moir and the Manikato (then known as the group 2 Freeway Stakes and run in August) before running third in Melbourne Cup week's group 1 sprint (then the Pure Pak Stakes) Having bypassed The Everest as the Te Akau team of David Ellis and trainer Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson opted to concentrate on Melbourne though easing slightly from odds-on on Friday to start AU$2.15 cooly coped with her first taste of straight racing to win the AU$3 million race by half a length three-quarters of a length further back in third while Espiona nosed Bella Nipotina out of fourth And while Walker kept a lid on talk of Imperatriz taking on the world next year Bosson—who's ridden her in 11 of her past 13 starts for nine wins—showed little doubt the mare would be suited by a race such as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (G1) up the straight on the final day of the Royal Ascot meeting "It'd be nice to get to Ascot and show them how good she is," Bosson told Racing.com after chalking up his 94th group 1 win and she's just getting better and better with age She is the real deal and she's proven that now Hopefully there's more to come for both of us." Photo: Mark Gatt(L-R) Trainer Mark Walker Jumping from gate eight in an 11-horse field that went down the grandstand side Bosson found an easy trail behind Front Page who led while another potential front-runner Bosson hooked to the outside to ease to the lead through hands-and-heels riding at the 350 meters then punched the mare out with the whip inside the last 150 meters to shore up the win I probably got (to the front) a little bit soon," Bosson said it's a long way up that straight once you're sitting there put her ears back and had a decent crack." Te Akau Racing have announced the retirement of its star mare Glamour sprinter Imperatriz has run her last race with Te Akau Racing on Thursday afternoon announcing that the 10-timer Group 1 winner had been retired The five-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible was the subject a variety of veterinary tests upon her arrival back in New Zealand earlier this week and subsequently felt it best to retire the mare "Te Akau always puts the well-being of our horses first The indications are that another high-level racing preparation would not be in her best interests and she will retire a happy and sound horse." Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis said A $360,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase Imperatriz raced 27 times for 19 wins and four minor placings Her first Group 1 win came in the 2022 Levin Classic which was followed by another 1600m Group 1 win in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes Mark Walker took the reins after Richards relocated to Hong Kong and prepared Imperatriz to become the world's highest-rated sprinter She won the Railway Stakes (1200m) and BCD Group Sprint (1400m) in New Zealand before taking all before her in Australia after Te Akau set up base at Cranbourne in Victoria Her final 10 starts were in Australia and included six Group 1 wins a gallant Yulong Newmarket Handicap second placing under 58kg and last Saturday's fourth placing in the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes She twice won the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley where she also won the Moir Stakes (1000m) and Manikato Stakes (1200m) while she won a Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) and Darley Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington "Imperatriz was simply an incredible racehorse," Walker said "Her determination and will to win was supreme She has been remarkable flagbearer for Te Akau's new Australian stable and we will be forever indebted to her "It has been such a privilege to train 'Berri' and she's been an absolute pleasure by every measure." The news of Imperatriz's retirement came just hours after the horse who beat her home in the Group 1 Yulong Newmarket Handicap was retired to stand at Darley's Northwood Stud in Victoria VRC Executive General Manager – Racing was equally as complimentary of the mare "We feel very honoured and privileged to have had Imperatriz race at Flemington She provided memorable moments and we loved seeing the tangerine silks first past the post in two of our highest-rated Group 1 sprints "We look forward to following her when she commences broodmare duties and hopefully she can pass on her speed determination to win along with beautiful looks and nature to all her foals." 1st 2023 Group 1 Darley Champions Sprint (1200m)1st 2024 Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m)2nd 2024 Group 1 Yulong Newmarket Handicap (1200m) 1st 2022 Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m)1st 2022 Group 1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders (1600m)1st 2023 Group 1 Railway Stakes (1200m)1st 2023 Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m)2nd 2023 Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m)1st 2023 Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m)1st 2023 Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m)1st 2023 Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m)1st 2024 Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m)4th 2024 Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) The Victoria Racing Club acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which it is based the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin nation When Te Akau boss David Ellis attended Magic Millions in 2020 he returned to New Zealand with seven yearlings that included a $360,000 filly by I Am Invincible and a $600,000 colt by Snitzel the former was NZ Horse of the Year Imperatriz and the latter was Champion NZ 2YO Sword of State whose first yearlings will be offered at the Gold Coast in January Bred by Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock Sword of State was foaled and raised at leading Hunter Valley nursery Newgate Farm and was their second highest priced yearling among 46 that they sold at the Gold Coast that year easy temperament and natural athleticism that were apparent to renowned judge David Ellis at that sale quickly translated into race track success with four wins and a placing behind Imperatriz from five starts at two stamping him as the best juvenile in New Zealand Sword of State won the Group I Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Group III Matamata Slipper (1200m) by a cumulative 10 lengths over Karaka Million 2YO winner and subsequent Group I winner On The Bubbles He won the Matamata Slipper in a race record time of 1:08.78 and his closing 600m in the Sistema Stakes of 33.15 was only bettered on the card by Group I mare Levante (33.14) “There was consideration given to taking him across to Australia in the autumn of his two year-old season and he was second favourite in early markets for the ATC Sires’ Produce (G1) behind Anamoe but ultimately didn’t take his place due to the soft track conditions,” revealed Cambridge Stud’s Scott Calder Sword of State struck brilliant form at the start of 2022 with wins in the Group III Almanzor Trophy (1200m) beating Imperatriz and then the Group III King’s Plate (1200m) which he won in race record time of 1:08.17 despite conceding weight to older elite sprinting mare Babylon Berlin “Even though they were Group 3s on paper both of those performances were top class He beat Imperatriz fair and square in the Almanzor Trophy and never looked back from there," said Calder A trip to Australia was again on the radar for the glamour colt “The Group 1 races in New Zealand are at 1400 metres and beyond from January onwards so focus shifted to Queensland He was beaten narrowly in the Gold Coast Guineas (G3) on an unsuitable heavy track as a lead up to his target race the Group I Kingsford Smith Stakes but got a virus and missed that race which was a real shame,” Calder added.  Sword of State was subsequently retired to iconic NZ nursery Cambridge Stud and has been given great support by Kiwi and Australian breeders By champion sire Snitzel from a Group II placed daughter of another champion sire Encosta de Lago with his Group II winning grand-dam Sharp by Golden Slipper winner Danzero Sword of State is the quintessential Australian 2YO type and raced true to his pedigree The very qualities that attracted David Ellis to Sword of State at the Gold Coast back in 2020 are being reproduced in his offspring and with eight yearlings to be offered at Magic Millions 2025 Cambridge Stud are confident they will receive a warm reception from buyers The following Sword of State yearlings are on offer at Magic Millions including three consigned by Cambridge Stud: Lot 98 Filly Sword of State x Windermere – Little Avondale Stud First foal of stakes-placed All Too Hard mare Windermere from a European family bristling with Group I winners Brian Boru Lot 142 Colt Sword of State x Alloro (NZ) – Wentwood Grange Second foal of a half-sister by Tavistock to Group I BRC JJ Atkins Stakes winner Sacred Elixir and traces in tail female line to the great champion mare Horlicks with the family producing Group I winners such as Brew Lot 358 Colt Sword of State x Empress Cixi (GB) – Cambridge Stud Half-brother to Group III placed Manchu and two more winners from blueblood import Empress Cixi (GB) a half-sister by Shamardal to Group II winner Ocovango with third dam Crystal Music Lot 615 Colt Sword of State x Luckily (NZ) – Newhaven Park First foal of unraced half-sister by Kermadec to stakes-winner Kolonel Kev from a Black Type US female family featuring Group I winner Love Lock Lot 623 Colt Sword of State x Luxe (NZ) – Silverdale Farm Third foal of stakes-placed O’Reilly mare Luxe a full sister to the dam of Group I winner Belclare also a winner of the $2million ATC The Invitation From the family of Group I VRC Oaks winner Kirramosa Lot 687 Filly Sword of State x More Jools – Cambridge Stud Fourth foal a placed half-sister by More Than Ready (USA) to Group winners Ninth Legion From the family of Group I NZ 2000 Guineas winner Tell a Tale and bred on similar Snitzel x More Than Ready cross to Golden Slipper winner Shinzo Lot 716 Colt Sword of State x Needle and Thread – Kia Ora Stud First foal of Group II winning Makfi (GB) mare Needle and Thread a full sister to stakes-winner Savile Row from European female family of Group I winner The Ghurka Lot 768 Colt Sword of State x Pazienza – Cambridge Stud First foal of a winning half-sister by Written Tycoon to Group III placed Folk Dress from the international female family of current season Australian Group I winner Buckaroo (IRE) Snitzel and Written Tycoon combine in the pedigrees of current Group I winners Private Life Mighty mare: nine-time G1 winner Imperatriz has led the Te Akau charge up the global rankings Photo: Bruno CannatelliNew Zealand bloodstock sources have saluted the achievement of Te Akau Racing the nation’s powerful syndication operation in reaching the upper echelons of Thoroughbred Racing Commentary Global Rankings Aided by the exploits of the world’s top sprinter Imperatriz, #4 on TRC charts after last weekend’s Lightning Stakes win, Te Akau now stands at #6 on the worldwide owners’ lists The NZ-based operation are behind only global powerhouses such as Godophin Shadwell and Japan’s ultra-powerful Sunday Racing team New Zealand Bloodstock director of business development Michael Kneebone was cock-a-hoop at the news “For Te Akau to even be on the list is incredible,” he said “It’s a great thing for the New Zealand industry and recognition of what superb judges they are and the excellent training setups that they have ‘She was a champion in New Zealand, but she’s definitely improved again’ – Kiwi sprint star Imperatriz gains worldwide recognition “Their recipe for success in the syndication ownership model is unmatched in Australasia,” Kneebone went on “At the moment and not only through Imperatriz week out they come up with the right results “I think it’s a great credit to them and I think what they’re doing now in Australia is just a natural progression for such a powerhouse syndication business.” Recording her ninth G1 victory in last Saturday’s Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington Imperatriz moved up a notch to fourth in the TRC Horse Rankings surpassed the four G1s recorded across the Tasman by former stablemate and dual Horse of the Year Probabeel while equalling the nine G1s by former stablemate Avantage Purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for A$360,000 at the 2020 Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Bhima Thoroughbreds Imperatriz is owned by Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing Partnership including nine of 10 since the start of last year “Australia is recognised to have some of the world’s best horses so I don’t think it’s surprising that she’s up there but being trained from New Zealand is the remarkable part of it and that’s the difference that makes her so unique,” Kneebone said Imperatriz is one of a number from the Te Akau stable to excel within the TRC Global Rankings rolling three-year period and the clear indication of that is the horses they’ve sold back into the breeding industry and how well they have achieved,” Kneebone said especially fillies and mares off the track are wanted from Europe to America to Japan and to Australia Everybody wants them and that’s a great indicator as to the quality of horses that they buy and the way they produce them on the racetrack “There are not a lot of stables that can produce stallions either and that’s another string to their bow with about a dozen going back to Darci Brahma and Burgundy “I was actually the auctioneer when David Ellis bought Darci Brahma he’s always had an eye for stock and been very meticulous and particular in what he buys which undoubtedly they’re one of the best in the world at the selection process and Mark Walker has headed that operation for many years It’s a great recipe that they haven’t changed much and deserve every success they get.” Ellis was leading buyer for the 19th consecutive year at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales Series at Karaka and combined with his purchases at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January he has bought 40 yearlings for syndication and currently about half are fully syndicated and sold Ellis continues as a major force in the racing industry and Te Akau Racing now has stables in Matamata Proven in his ability to select and purchase high-quality young Thoroughbreds Ellis and Te Akau Racing has produced more than 50 individual G1 winners of 100 G1 races with 42 of the individual winners purchased by Ellis “After buying these quality horses they then have to syndicate them out and I don’t think there’s anyone better than Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) and David that does that,” Kneebone said and to be well recognised at a global level is an outstanding achievement “But it’s no surprise to me because I’ve seen the operation working for 20-odd years and realise how much they put into it “There’s a lot of hard work that goes into syndicating the horses and alongside their loyal client base they’ve also got new owners coming in that want to be involved the benchmark with their communication about horses to the owners I can say that from a firsthand point of view because I’ve had shares in horses with Te Akau “It doesn’t matter whether owners have five they are all made to feel that they are a genuine owner of the horse and that’s how they’ve tailored their syndications to work they’re very good at placing horses correctly where they might get the best opportunity to win and it shows in these types of global rankings.” • Visit the Te Akau Racing website and the LoveracingNZ website What They’re Thinking: David Ellis – What you need is passion, hard work, determination, drive, innovation, attitude … and did I say hard work? Rankings update: Imperatriz confirms status as world #1 sprinter Imperatriz mostrou que pode brigar forte pelo título com o enredo "Com a sorte virada pra lua segundo o testamento da cigana Esmeralda" - David Normando / Rio Carnaval The first day of presentations by the Samba schools of Rio de Janeiro's Special Group showed that Imperatriz Leopoldinense has a good chance of winning the title again The Samba school was the last to parade on Sapucaí with the storyline "With luck turned to the moon according to the will of the gypsy Esmeralda" "Seeing Imperatriz making the grandstand sing jump and follow them was the image of the night Imperatriz put on a carnival it has rarely done in its history," summed up journalist Luiz Gustavo Thomaz a specialist in carnival parades and a long-time veteran of the Sapucaí avenue and samba school “barracões” the place where all the costumes and adornments are made Thomaz singled out the parades of Samba schools Beija-Flor and Grande Rio Salgueiro was rated "the disappointment of the night" while Porto da Pedra and Unidos da Tijuca were the least appreciated (when not considering Salgueiro) Check out below the highlights of the first day of parades in Rio de Janeiro's Special Group: Porto da Pedra returned to the Special Group after a ten-year absence The school opened the first night of parades with a tribute to the Lunario Perpetuo a historical book written by the Spanish mathematician astronomer and naturalist Jerónimo Cortés which was published in new editions over the centuries highlighting the behavior of insects and the influence of the moon on crops and had a great influence on the popular wisdom of the Brazilian Northeast region the school was impressive with its imposing presentation the Samba school had serious problems with the last car there were "holes" in the parade which will probably take the school back to the so-called “access group” (the “second division” of Samba schools) unless there are bigger problems with the Samba schools that will parade tonight.  The third biggest winner of Rio's Carnival Beija-Flor took to the avenue wanting its 15th trophy The Samba school told the story of the capital city of Alagoas state The central character of the plot is Rás Gonguila a shoeshine boy born at the beginning of the 20th century and founder of the Cavaleiro dos Montes block parading in Maceió’s streets for decades The parade was the school's first headed by carnival designer (the closest English language has to the Portuguese word “carnavalesco”) João Vitor Araújo The school presented the audience with a very beautiful presentation it had problems with evolution and some members had to run The Samba didn't deliver enough on the avenue either "The disappointment of the night" Seen as one of the favorite samba schools by Carnival experts before the beginning of parades on Sapucaí Acadêmicos do Salgueiro presented a plot that paid homage to the Yanomami Indigenous people talking about their mythologies and raising awareness on the defense of the Amazon the presentation fell short of expectations The carnival designer [Edson Pereira] is very good with the [adorned] cars but it was developed in a bad way," said Thomaz The Indigenous theme was also seen in Grande Rio which won the title of best samba school parade for the first time in 2022 The school presented the storyline "Our destiny is to be a jaguar" The animal is considered powerful and a divine symbol according to Tupinambá mythology The presentation sought to show feline's representation in Brazilian culture in various ways The samba-enredo – the theme song presented by each samba school – and the drums performed well on Sapucaí and it's not possible to predict how it will be evaluated Unidos da Tijuca chose to tell the fables of Portugal with the storyline "Contos de Fados" since “fada” means “fairy” and “fado” is the name of a famous Portuguese music genre legends and mysteries about the country's formation and the centuries that followed it to the monster that bled the enslaved," sang the samba-enredo of the school whose most recent title dates back to 2014 Unidos da Tijuca presented a "tasteless and dated" plot and had a weak commission of front It was a problematic and "sleepy" parade and would have had problems avoiding relegation if it hadn't been for Porto da Pedra's problems Champion of the 2023 Special Group with a plot about Lampião Imperatriz Leopoldinense closed the first night of parades with more references to Brazil’s Northeastern culture The plot "With luck turned to the moon according to the will of the gypsy Esmeralda" was based on a cordel literature work written more than a century ago by poet Leandro Gomes de Barros from Paraíba The original text tells of a gypsy woman who left a testament that became a true manual of luck The school put on a parade that was almost flawless the drums were very good and everybody was in tune Two of the adorned cars had lighting problems and this may cause the school to lose a few tenths in the judges' assessment All original content produced and editorially authored by Brasil de Fato may be reproduced provided it is not altered and proper credit is given All original content produced and editorially authored by Brasil de Fato may be reproduced A man catches a fish in a street flooded during floods caused by heavy rain in Imperatriz Joelma assesses the damage in her flooded house during floods caused by heavy rain in Imperatriz observes the damage inside his flooded house during floods caused by heavy rain in Imperatriz A flooded street is seen during floods caused by heavy rain in Imperatriz during floods caused by heavy rain in Imperatriz Cats are seen on the roof of flooded houses The flooded house of the Ilzete Rodrigues is pictured during floods caused by heavy rain in Imperatriz Ilzete is embraced by her daughter Joelma in front of a flooded house during floods caused by heavy rain in Imperatriz Imperatriz ridden by Michael Dee wins the Mittys McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley Racecourse What Imperatriz will do at The Valley today would have seemed nearly impossible just a few years ago And that is before she even races in the A$1 million William Reid Stakes The New Zealand-trained mare is the $1.65 favourite going into the Group 1 the race that started her domination of Victoria’s elite sprint races last year Imperatriz has only been beaten once and that was almost a career-best performance running second with a 58kgs topweight in the Newmarket last start Back to weight-for-age on The Valley track she has never been beaten on she is being rated a good thing by the market even if her wide draw will bring luck and race tempo into play It wasn’t that long ago a New Zealand-trained sprinter being rated $1.65 to win a Group 1 sprint in Australia seemed laughable but the last five years have seen the most unlikely renaissance for Kiwis who can fly It was started by the still underrated The Bostonian who won three Australian Group 1 sprints and then came Roch N Horse’s two stunners down the Flemington straight winning the Newmarket and the Champions Sprint Both horses created new respect for New Zealand sprinters but that has been driven to a whole new level by Imperatriz albeit she is Australian-bred so her magnificent run doesn’t pay quite the same dividends for our breeding industry Imperatriz may need to go a new level to win the TJ Smith in Sydney on April 6 - where I Wish I Win could lay in wait - but all going well she looks certain to be the first New Zealand-trained starter in Australia’s greatest sprint The Everest in October A New Zealand horse winning The Everest really would be tearing down the gates of the Australian sprinting fortress and help to further fuel Te Akau’s ambitions across the Tasman where trainer Mark Walker is likely to base himself from next year Their influence there has already grown far quicker than expected with Imperatriz just one of their winning chances at The Valley today who looks value at $5 in a Group 3 on her Australian debut so today might be the first time a New Zealand stable has had four well-favoured runners in black-type races at the same Australian meeting All will be ridden by Opie Bosson giving him the strongest book of rides for a New Zealand-based jockey at a major Australian meeting in years While Imperatriz will be trying to dent more Australian sprinting pride in Victoria the other great race that remains impervious to Kiwi advances For all the tradition of the Melbourne Cup and hype of The Everest the Golden Slipper remains the most valuable race in Australia for the right horse with well-bred colts who win it instantly worth north of A$20m 6.40pm) has an added layer of intrigue as the two unbeaten colts Storm Boy and Switzerland are both owned by breeding giant Coolmore and they opted to put their Northern Hemisphere jockey Ryan Moore on the more favoured Storm Boy That sees ex-pat Kiwi superstar James McDonald on Switzerland in a race that could see one emerge worth a lot more than the other While the mega riches in Australia and the lack of a Group 1 here means the New Zealand domestic scene will play a support role today there is still some great punting races at both Tauranga and Riccarton The $175,000 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (Tauranga 3.55pm) confirms again that full 1600m fields provide some of our best punting contests with plenty of value around winning chances in Saint Bathans The 10-time Group 1-winning star Imperatriz has run her last race with the rising six-year-old mare to be prepared to begin life as a broodmare next spring Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis confirmed the surprising news on Thursday saying that after consulting with her owners it was decided the highly-valuable mare’s future lay in the breeding barn following her half-length defeat when fourth in last Saturday’s G1 T J Smith Stakes at Randwick “Imperatriz has been a magnificent race mare I loved her from the time I set eyes on her at the Magic Millions’ sale What she has done since has firmly established her as one of the very best race mares Australasia has seen in recent times,” David Ellis said on the Te Akau Racing website. “From a filly that was the last to sell as a yearling she became a Champion racehorse and when Karyn and I saw her win her second Group 1 William Reid at Moonee Valley last month we couldn’t believe the crowd’s adulation for her combined with the sweetest nature you could imagine have certainly won the hearts of fans worldwide The joy she has brought to her owners is indescribable.” Ellis said a vet inspection after Imperatriz returned home to New Zealand led to them making the call to retire her “Te Akau always puts the well-being of our horses first and she will retire a happy and sound horse,” he said the Australian-bred Imperatriz was purchased by Ellis for $360,000 at the 2020 Gold Coast Premier sales and went on to win a tick under $7 million in stakes from her 19 wins and four placings from 27 starts After having her first 17 runs in New Zealand Imperatriz returned to Australia for the first time since her yearling days last autumn when nosed out of the G1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick by Artorius She then went on a winning spree that netted her six straight wins – five at G1 level – before she was beaten in the G1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington by the lightweight Cylinder 10 in the William Reid Stakes at The Valley before her final run last Saturday when beaten half a length into fourth place in the G1 T J Smith Stakes at Randwick Imperatriz retires with the second most G1 victories for Te Akau Racing with her 10 wins at the elite level still four behind that of former star Melody Belle WATCH: Imperatriz's last Group 1 win in the William Reid Stakes Champion mare Imperatriz smashed records across the board when she sold for $6.6 million on Day One of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast today The 10 time Group One winning daughter of I Am Invincible was offered for sale by New Zealand based Te Akau Racing after she was recently retired following a glittering racetrack career Jockey Opie Bosson and Imperatriz at Flemington Kiwi superstar Imperatriz earned more than mega money by winning the A$3 million Champions Sprint at Flemington today; she earned herself a place in the conversation about our greatest-ever racemares The queen of New Zealand racing capped a remarkable spring by beating some of Australia’s best sprinters down Flemington’s famous straight six (1200m) to record her ninth career Group 1 victory It gave co-trainer Mark Walker his first ever Flemington Group 1 and jockey Opie Bosson his equal richest victory alongside Mongolian Khan’s 2015 Caulfield Cup After even easier victories in the Moir Stakes and Manikato at The Valley Imperatriz has won races worth A$6,050,000 in two months justifying Te Akau boss David Ellis’ decision to turn down numerous slots for the A$20m Everest in Sydney last month Bosson punching her out of gate eight to sit behind and then outside the leader controlling the race but with cover from the crosswind While the champion jockey admits he may have asked for her top speed a little too early talent and heart meant she never looked in danger of defeat New Zealand sprinting mares have undergone the most unlikely renaissance in the past two years with Roch ‘N’ Horse winning this race last season but Imperatriz has consistently beaten or even thrashed elite Australian sprinters this season She has now won all five of her Victorian races at the highest level but as one who deserves to be mentioned when the all-time great girls are discussed It would be a list which for most racing fans is headed by Sunline who was a phenomenon here and in Australia as well as winning at the highest level in Hong Kong winning a Japan Cup in world record time and racing in a great era while Desert Gold was a legend over a century ago Add in recent-ish Melbourne Cup winners with great support records in Empire Rose as well as Melody Belle for her Group1 longevity and you have some truly magnificent mares who now have another queen in their midst While Imperatriz has yet to have her Sunline or Horlicks moment She is only a 5-year-old with potentially another season or two of racing Royal Ascot or more likely the A$20m Everest in Sydney await next season and she could end up being the highest-earning racehorse ever trained in New Zealand Now she comes home and rests before heading back to Australia in February her exact place among the greats is still to be decided ● New Zealand-bred and owned mare Atishu completed a great day for the local racing industry by winning the A$3m Champion Stakes (2000m) also at Flemington for owners Go Racing trainer Chris Waller and jockey James McDonald The ten-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz has been retired in preparation to begin life as a broodmare later this year It was decided the highly valuable mare’s future lay in breeding following her half-length defeat when fourth in Saturday’s T J Smith Stakes at Randwick Imperatiz won 19 of her 27 starts and accrued just under A$7 million (£3.64m/€4.25m) in prize-money including a six-race winning spree last year featuring five Group 1s in a row I loved her from the time I set eyes on her at the Magic Millions sale What she has done since has firmly established her as one of the very best mares Australasia has seen in recent times,” said David Ellis “From a filly that was the last to sell as a yearling she became a champion racehorse and when I saw her win her second Group 1 William Reid at Moonee Valley last month we couldn’t believe the crowd’s adulation for her has certainly won the hearts of fans worldwide The joy she has brought to her owners is indescribable.” Ellis said a vet inspection after the Mark Walker-trained Imperatriz returned home to New Zealand led to them making the call to retire her “Te Akau always puts the wellbeing of our horses first," said Ellis "The indications are that another high-level racing preparation would not be in her best interests and she will retire a happy and sound horse." Imperatriz cements her status as one of the world's best sprinters with ninth Group 1 win but Royal Ascot not on agenda  Sign up to receive On The Nose Published on 11 April 2024inAustralia New Zealand Horse of the Year Imperatriz had a near perfect season in Australia last term and was duly crowned Champion Sprinter at the Australian Horse of the Year Awards in Adelaide on Tuesday Imperatriz recorded each of her five Group One wins last season in the hands of Te Akau Racing’s stable rider Opie Bosson who recorded his 98th Group One win when she retained her crown in the Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley in March “It was a great honour to win Australian Sprinter of the Year and it was thoroughly deserved,” Walker said “It was an unbelievable season of racing that she had in 2023/24 and everyone involved was so proud of her which included those that worked with her at Te Akau Stud and every part of the Te Akau training operation played its part in her success “The ownership group were fantastic to deal with and she was a dream horse ever since Dave (Ellis Te Akau Racing principal) bought her as a yearling at Magic Millions.” Ellis purchased Imperatriz out of Bhima Thoroughbreds’ 2020 Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $360,000 and she went on to win 19 of her 27 starts and earned more than $7.5 million in prizemoney and in a full circle moment was offered at Magic Million’s Gold Coast National Broodmare sale where she was purchased by Yulong for A$6.6 million becoming the highest priced filly or mare ever sold in the southern hemisphere Te Akau Racing Cranbourne assistant trainer) and I visited her last week at Yulong Stud and we were amazed at the facilities there and we got to give Imperatriz a pat and see what wonderful order she’s in after being served by Pierata (Pierro) the week before,” Walker said “She’s on to the next stage of her career as a broodmare and mother and we look forward with great interest to seeing her progeny racing.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk Imperatriz is expected to fetch between $5 million and $7m when she is auctioned at the Magic Millions next month Champion New Zealand mare Imperatriz will be sold on the Gold Coast next month but she won’t actually be there The recently retired sprint queen will be offered for sale as a broodmare prospect on May 28 at the Magic Millions sales But Imperatriz will remain in New Zealand and not travel to Australia Her auction will be conducted at the Magic Millions complex with a video of her career highlights and the mare herself at home at Te Akau to be shown during the auction Buyers will be able to bid online or at the sales complex as if she was in the actual sales ring Te Akau say they will have veterinary reports available for Imperatriz but the few serious buyers at that level will now almost certainly comission their own vet reports on the wonderful mare standard due dilligence when buying at thoroughbred sales Imperatriz’s likely sale price is hard to estimate but $5 million to $7 million seems realistic with exact prices at that rarified end of the market dependent on whether there are two high-end buyers who refuse to back down rather than just the one keen buyer The 10-time Group 1 winner only raced in early April when bogged down into fourth in the TJ Smith in Sydney but was found to have wear and tear when given her end-of-season veterinary examination “It is just the wear and tear you expect from a horse who has been racing at her level and some people might have patched her up and kept racing,” says David Ellis “But we think it was her telling us she has had enough so she will retire sound and happy and start her next career.” The owners of gun sprinting mare Imperatriz say they have no regrets about rejecting a place in The Everest and would have been more likely to contest the $20 million race if it was a group 1 event Arguably the best horse in Australia and New Zealand Imperatriz is almost certain to miss the world’s second-richest race despite attracting interest from four slot-holders So lethal has Imperatriz been in two Melbourne wins this campaign – she blew past defending The Everest champion Giga Kick in her first run albeit her rival was later found to be injured – bookmakers still have the New Zealander on the second line of betting Te Akau Racing will wait for the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley this month when she is likely to start as one of the shortest-priced favourites in an Australian group 1 race since Winx and Black Caviar The Everest still doesn’t have group 1 status due to bickering between racing officials in NSW and Victoria, which is unlikely to change soon given court proceedings are under way between the states Asked if group 1 status for The Everest would have changed their position Te Akau principal David Ellis said: “We’d certainly have given it [a lot more thought] But the races she’s been running in are all group 1s Imperatriz (orange colours) wins the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley last Friday night.Credit: Getty “We’ve had four different slot-holders ask us if we’re interested Imperatriz was a dominant winner of the Moir Stakes in a breathtaking performance last Friday night but it still wasn’t enough for connections to take on The Everest Golden Eagle and TJ Smith Stakes winner I Wish I Win and last-start Premiere Stakes hero Think About It were joint favourites at $4 with Sportsbet on Wednesday Imperatriz is on the second line of betting at $4.60 despite being listed as doubtful There is only one more runner to be confirmed for the race with breeding giant Yulong expected to announce Alcohol Free the most expensive horse imported to Australia Chris Waller’s business partners have chosen the stable’s Espiona to contest The Everest while stablemate and Golden Slipper-winning colt Shinzo will race under the Coolmore banner which will bank $1.2 million if she can win the Manikato Stakes to be split between the slot-holder and winning connections “I was happy with the deal we were offered but it wasn’t enough to get us across the line,” Ellis said “It’s been a pretty easy decision because we think she’s happy with where she is She doesn’t need a long float trip to Sydney after a long trip from New Zealand She’s very happy at Cranbourne and I think she prefers going left-handed [counterclockwise] We’re not going to make a decision now what we’re going to do in 12 months.” Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter Imperatriz is almost certain to miss the world\\u2019s second-richest race despite attracting interest from four slot-holders So lethal has Imperatriz been in two Melbourne wins this campaign \\u2013 she blew past defending The Everest champion Giga Kick in her first run albeit her rival was later found to be injured \\u2013 bookmakers still have the New Zealander on the second line of betting The Everest still doesn\\u2019t have group 1 status due to bickering between racing officials in NSW and Victoria Te Akau principal David Ellis said: \\u201CWe\\u2019d certainly have given it [a lot more thought] But the races she\\u2019s been running in are all group 1s \\u201CWe\\u2019ve had four different slot-holders ask us if we\\u2019re interested But we\\u2019re going to stay in Melbourne but it still wasn\\u2019t enough for connections to take on The Everest Chris Waller\\u2019s business partners have chosen the stable\\u2019s Espiona to contest The Everest \\u201CI was happy with the deal we were offered but it wasn\\u2019t enough to get us across the line,\\u201D Ellis said \\u201CIt\\u2019s been a pretty easy decision because we think she\\u2019s happy with where she is She doesn\\u2019t need a long float trip to Sydney after a long trip from New Zealand She\\u2019s very happy at Cranbourne and I think she prefers going left-handed [counterclockwise] \\u201CWe\\u2019ll look at [The Everest] year by year We\\u2019re not going to make a decision now what we\\u2019re going to do in 12 months.\\u201D