My Gladiola (AUS)
My Gladiola (AUS)
2 f I Am Invincible – Villa Verde by Not A Single Doubt
O: Redgum Racing Pty Ltd (Mgr: B J Clayton), C A Ahrens, C H Clayton, Mrs N O Clayton, I W Clayton, T I Clayton, G Edhouse, W N Hollway, R A Ireland, P A Johnson, Kia Ora Stud (Mgr: A Krishnan), K C Marshall, D A Page, B J Thynne, Mrs G Page, J Page & Mrs N Doherty
B: Kia Ora Stud Pty Ltd
T: John McArdle
S: 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale V: Kia Ora Stud P: Redgum Racing, $550,000
W: Blue Diamond Preview (F), Group 3, 1000m, January 25, Sandown-Lakeside
My Gladiola (I Am Invincible) was shortened to favouritism for the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) after an ultra-impressive debut victory in the fillies’ Blue Diamond Preview (Gr 3, 1000m) at Sandown on Saturday.
The seventh foal out of three-time stakes winner and $1.1 million broodmare Villa Verde (Not A Single Doubt), the John McArdle-trained My Gladiola lived up to two strong jump-out wins with a by 1.5-length victory over Anthony and Sam Freedman’s Price Tag (Zoustar), while Ciaron Maher’s second-starter Wiltshire Square (Wootton Bassett) was a further 1.8 lengths back in third.
McArdle’s stable representative Danielle Smith said My Gladiola would likely start in the Blue Diamond Prelude (Gr 3, 1100m) on February 8 on the road to the $2 million main event at Caulfield a further fortnight afterwards.
“Motty [Jamie Mott, rider] was pretty confident that there were some gears there, so it was nice to see her do that today,” Smith said.
“All going well, pulling up well, she’ll head towards the [Blue] Diamond, but you know what two-year-olds are like – you’ve just got to take it one day at a time.
“I think John was talking about the Prelude, but again, we’ll just see how she pulls up. You don’t want to bottom the two-year-olds out going into a big race like the Diamond.
“We’ll take her home, wrap her up in cotton wool and hope she pulls up well.
“She is an absolute professional – everyone said her mum was pretty similar, and she walked around like a six-year-old gelding today.”
Redgum Racing purchased the filly for $550,000 at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from breeders Kia Ora Stud, who retained a share in the youngster.
Kia Ora will offer Villa Verde’s latest foal, a grey filly by Pierro (Lonhro), as Lot 759 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale next month.