“My filly did start easing up a little bit once she hit the front, but she’s tough. I could see them coming out wide, I didn’t even know who they were, but I was just hoping she’d put her head down at the right time."
“She’s probably a little bit the forgotten about horse, she’s in great form and she’s proven at Group One level. I think she can run extremely well on Saturday."
Tony Pike doesn’t have any concerns about Impendabelle’s ability to cope with a step up in trip in Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
Recent events at Hallmark Stud have ensured the inclusion of a highly valuable daughter of Proisir in the farm’s draft to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in January.
Classy filly Impendabelle is now a Group Two winner at the ages of both two and three, surviving a protest to take out a chaotic running of the Jamieson Park Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe on Saturday.
Hastings’ loss will be Te Rapa’s gain with the well-performed filly Impendabelle to now stay closer to home for her next step toward a Group One target.
Te Akau Racing may have been the dominant force in the Karaka Million 2YO , but at least one of their rivals knows plenty about winning big races on this day.