Jockey Michael Dee has got the call-up to ride the impressive New Zealand visitor Imperatriz in next week’s Group 2 McEwen Stakes where the thirteen-time winner, from only nineteen starts, looks set to clash, amongst others, with the likes of Giga Kick, What You Need and Rothfire.
Dee replaces Opie Bosson in the saddle, a change necessitated by the fact that Bosson, who is Imperatriz’s regular pilot, is obligated to ride at Hastings on the same day as the McEwen Moonee Valley showdown.
Imperatriz won nine of his first twelve starts when in the care of Jamie Richards and there was absolutely no let-up when the daughter of I Am Invincible fell under the care of Mark Walker when Richards relocated to Hong Kong, with the now five-year-old adding a further four wins from seven starts when racing under Walker’s name.
Part of the mighty Te Akau team’s juggernaut, Imperatriz was a winner at Moonee Valley at her last start which came back in March in the Group 1 William Reid where she kept Bella Nipotina at bay by a length.
That win was Imperatriz’s third Group 1 win in her last five starts. That run of results included wins in the Group 1 Railway, the Group 2 Westbury Classic, the Group 1 BDC Sprint and, of course, the William Reid … as well as a Group 1 runner-up result behind Artorius in the Canterbury Stakes at Randwick.
Imperatriz has five Group 1 wins overall … having also won the Thoroughbred Breeders and the Levin Classic for Richards.
Clearly, Inperatriz will be a force to be reckoned with in the McEwen … and beyond … irrespective of the high calibre opposition she will face … she has already proved herself in that regard … or the fact that he will be first-up, as she has already nailed that statistic winning four out of five starts when resuming.
Imperatriz has never raced over 1000m … the McEwen race distance … but, just when you might have thought that you have spotted a chink in her armour, you find that she has won twice over 1110m … which should mean that you can draw a line through any distance doubt as well, particularly with her racing fresh.
Dee is thrilled to have the ride, but he has told Racing.com that he expects Opie Bosson to get back aboard Imperatriz when she moves deeper into her campaign and heads for the Moir and Manikato Stakes.
