If ever a horse deserved a big race victory it is the consistent sprinter Imwonderfultonight, and the mare got that result at Otaki on Saturday when she took out the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m).
Raced by Windsor Park Stud and Ben Kwok, Imwonderfultonight has come a long way in a short time since joining trainer Sam Mynott’s Cambridge stable having gone from winning a 1200m maiden at Hasting just over a year ago to running fourth in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) back in January.
Imwonderfultonight had five top four finishes in stakes company from her last six appearances before Saturday’s Listed contest, but gave none of her rivals a look in as she dominated proceedings in front for Masa Hashizume, running out a two-length winner from Wewillrock who had chased her gamely throughout.
Mynott was getting worried before the race as the rain tumbled down with the track downgraded to a Heavy 10, a surface that the daughter of I Am Invincible hadn’t faced before.
“I don’t think there was a horse in the race that deserved a stakes win as much as her but the rain on the day really had me worried,” Mynott said.
“She was an unknown on a Heavy surface and I was probably lucky so were most of the others.
“We had planned to take a sit behind the speed and have one crack at them in the straight but when she jumped so well Masa decided to press on and that was exactly the right decision.
“She seemed to handle things well and she pulled up super afterwards as she hardly had a blow and she has coped well with her racing of late.”
With Mynott recognising this could be the mare’s last season of racing before heading to the broodmare paddock, she has been harbouring ideas of a Queensland Winter Carnival campaign to round out her career.
“Going to Queensland is an option but we haven’t set any plans as yet,” she said.
“The way she has handled her racing gives me confidence she still has more to give and without knowing just what sort of tracks we would strike over there, having another string to her bow on a wet track is also a boost.
“We will get her home and see how she pulls up and make a decision after that.”
Imwonderfultonight had three starts for two placings in Australia before coming to New Zealand where she has won three of her nine local runs and over $178,000 in prizemoney.