Ace Kiwi hoop Opie Bosson was full of post-race praise for Mark Walker’s outstanding mare Imperatriz after riding her to another Group 1 win at The Valley in Saturday’s $2 million Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m).
2023 Manikato Stakes winner Imperatriz was far too good enjoying her fourth straight win at The Valley on Cox Plate Day. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
It was a Cox Plate Day demolition job from the champion New Zealand-trained mare who made it four straight wins, all at the notoriously tight Moonee Valley circuit she has such an affinity for.
Dubbed the ‘Queen of The Valley’ the five-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible completed the course’s sprint Triple Crown adding the Manikato to her William Reid Stakes and Moir Stakes victories already this year.
Imperatriz won the Moir in race record time as she did the McEwen Stakes the start prior in the lead-up to her six-furlong explosion in the Manikato that saw her race away to win by over three lengths.
“She just does it for me really, she’s just something special,” Bosson told Racing.com.
“She is by far (the best horse I’ve ever ridden).
“More to come I think.”
Tactically the race did not go to plan for Bosson who found himself in the lead following the bonny mare’s quick jump.
It mattered little however with the star hoop and his horse left alone up front leading from start to finish.
The deserving odds-on favourite glided around the corner three lengths in front and nothing could catch her or close the gap that she still had crossing the line.
“That’s sort of the genius of Opie, he jumped so well so why take away that advantage,” Walker said.
“I think she had it in the bag a long way from home really.”
The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained I Am Me, ridden by James McDonald who subsequently won the Cox Plate on Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior, was best of the rest in second with Group 1 winning Queenslander Uncommon James third.
Imperatriz only had five rivals to beat after Buenos Noches was fractious after loading, eventually scratched at the barriers.
It may have been a small field but that took nothing away from the winner who was simply too good and too strong at her pet track.
Imperatriz is now odds-on at $1.70 through Ladbrokes to had to Flemington on November 11 and take out the Group 1 $3 million Champions Sprint (1200m), a race double not achieved since Buffing (2013).
2023 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | IMPERATRIZ | Mark Walker | Opie Bosson | 4 | 56.5kg | $1.40F | |||
| 2 | 7 | I AM ME | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | James McDonald | 3.25L | 5 | 56.5kg | $6 | ||
| 3 | 3 | UNCOMMON JAMES | Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted | Damian Lane | 3.65L | 2 | 58.5kg | $10 | ||
| 4 | 1 | THE INFERNO | Cliff Brown | Jake Noonan | 3.75L | 3 | 58.5kg | $41 | ||
| 5 | 4 | JIGSAW | Cindy Alderson | Daniel Moor | 7L | 6 | 58.5kg | $31 | ||
| 6 | 5 | I AM WAR | Trevor J Andrews | Jamie Mott | 7.4L | 1 | 58.5kg | $91 | ||
| SB | 2 | BUENOS NOCHES | Matthew Smith | Blake Shinn | 0 | 58.5kg |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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