Inkaruna enters Blue Diamond running after debut Chairman’s Stakes win
Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained filly continues excellent recent run for Kia Ora
Kia Ora Stud continued a stellar run with their two-year-olds when their homebred Inkaruna (I Am Invincible) scored a thrilling victory on debut in Saturday’s Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Sandown.
Starting from gate five of eight for Daniel Moor, the Anthony and Sam Freedman–trained filly jumped well before easing to travel just behind the leaders in midfield.
Surging to the lead on an inside run passing the 200-metre mark, Inkaruna held on in a head-bobbing finish to score by 0.1 lengths from the fast-finishing Sword Of Legacy (Too Darn Hot).
The win extended a stunning sequence for Kia Ora. Less than an hour earlier Blitzburg (Snitzel) – a colt in whom they are one of three owners – won Rosehill’s Canonbury Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m), beating into second another horse they part own in Hillier (Zoustar).
Two hours before that, across the Tasman, the Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (Gr 3, 1200m) was won by Return To Conquer (Snitzel), the $1.3 million Gold Coast buy raced by Te Akau’s stallion breeding syndicate, in which Kia Ora also has an interest.
And the stud’s golden eight days kicked off last Saturday when the Kia Ora–bred and part-owned My Gladiola (I Am Invincible) won the fillies’ Blue Diamond Preview (Gr 3, 1000m) on debut.
Throw in the winning Eagle Farm debut in late December of another juvenile part-owned by Kia Ora – the promising Space Rider (Zoustar), in a race in which Blitzburg was third – and it’s been a heady few weeks for Kia Ora. It’s also come at a salving time, following the death of its owner, Malaysian-born billionaire Ananda Krishnan, last November aged 86.
Inkaruna’s victory may be especially satisfying. The muscular filly was offered in Kia Ora’s draft at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but was passed in $20,000 shy of her $400,000 reserve.
Kia Ora stood firm, and now have whole ownership of a $26 chance for the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) on February 22 – aside from the other matter of holding a stake in the $4 favourite, My Gladiola.
Whether Inkaruna heads to the Blue Diamond, however, is in question.
She would have been on a more suitable timeline had her planned jump-out not been washed out some two weeks ago, putting her out of contention for last week’s Blue Diamond Preview.
After Saturday’s win, Sam Freedman said the three-week gap to a second outing in the Blue Diamond was now problematic for the filly, adding Sydney targets later in the autumn may be more suitable.
“It’s tricky,” Freedman said. “She was actually due to jump out a couple of weeks ago in her second trial, but it got called off due to weather at Caulfield on the Heath track.
“That would have put her on the right leg to try her in the Preview last week.
“She’s a nice filly that has progressed all the way through and that is a great result to get a stakes win on debut.”
Gavin Bedggood’s debuting gelding Hot Sea (Too Darn Hot) took third at $4, beaten 1.8 lengths by the winner.
Moor only picked up the ride late on Saturday morning after the booked Craig Williams was ruled out sick. Moor had previously only had one ride booked, in the last race, so had to hurry to Sandown to ride Inkaruna.
“I’d had a bit to do with her in the past and thought she was well worth the rush to get here,” Moor said.
Inkaruna was backed late to firm marginally to start at $6, with Sword Of Legacy the $3.60 favourite.
Freedman said he and his father Anthony had liked Inkaruna at the sales but were unable to acquire her. Being by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) had pushed her out of their price range.
“We liked her, but didn’t quite have the budget,” said Freedman, now more than content with merely training the filly.
Inkaruna is impeccably bred. She’s the fourth foal out of Ravi (Redoute’s Choice), a dual stakes winner who’s also a full–sister to Elzaam, a Listed winner in England who was also thrice Group-placed.
Putting a Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare such as Ravi to I Am Invincible effects one of the triple champion sire’s top three nicks, with 60 winners from 72 runners and four stakes winners. It also produces a 3f x 4f duplication of the influential Canny Lad (Bletchingly), the damsire to both I Am Invincible and Redoute’s Choice.
Ravi missed to Zoustar (Northern Meteor) in 2022 but now has a weanling filly by the Widden flagbearer, and was covered by Kia Ora’s Captivant (Capitalist) last November.
Coincidentally, Ravi was also retained to race by Kia Ora when she fell $10,000 short of a modest $200,000 reserve at Inglis Easter 2014, ultimately winning the farm more than $400,000 in earnings.
Inkaruna (2 f I Am Invincible – Ravi by Redoute’s Choice) became the 114th stakes winner for I Am Invincible. She’s also his second juvenile black type winner of the season – and in eight days – after My Gladiola.