Aloisia warms up for VRC Oaks bid
New Zealand-bred Aloisia (Azamour) looks the superior three-year-old staying filly in Australia this spring following her decisive defeat of colts in last Saturday’s Moonee Valley Vase (Gr 2, 2040m).
Aloisia dashed clear of her rivals in the short straight to defeat Cliff’s Edge (Canford Cliffs) by three and a half lengths with Salsamor (Tavistock) another five and a half lengths back in third place, in a time of 2:04.24.
Last start winner of the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at Caulfield, Aloisia will now attempt the Classic double as likely favourite for the VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) run at Flemington two days after the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m).
Sold privately to an OTI Racing syndicate after two starts in New Zealand last season, Aloisia won first up at Flemington over 1400m in May and before spelling gave a hint of her class in finishing second in the J J Atkins Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) in June.
Aloisia is a smallish type but all heart and comes from the one and only New Zealand-bred crop of the Aga Khan-owned stallion Azamour (Night Shift), who shuttled to New Zealand for the first time at the age of 12 in 2013, then sadly died the following year on his return to Gilltown Stud in Ireland.
Azamour was a top-class performer, effective from seven furlongs to one and a half miles, winning six races, including the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1m4f) the year it was run at Newbury, the St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Royal Ascot, the Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Leopardstown and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2½f) at York. He was also placed in both the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) and the Irish 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1 mile), the Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Newmarket. He also finished finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 12f) at Belmont Park.
These performances were recognised when Azamour was made champion older horse in Europe in 2005 and champion three-year-old colt in Ireland over intermediate distances in 2004, among other honours given to him.
Retired to stud in Ireland in 2006, Azamour has 37 stakes winners worldwide including 2015 Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Dolniya, Valyra, Hawksmoor and Covert Love, in addition to Aloisia.
Azamour’s sire Night Shift (Northern Dancer) left some 87 stakes winners during his stud career, part of which was spent at Woodlands Stud in NSW where he sired his best remembered Australian runner Align, winner of the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) before embarking on a fairly successful stud career in New Zealand.
Aloisia’s dam Queen Boudicca (Perfectly Ready) had speed and a measure of class as a two-year-old winner placed in the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
Queen Boudicca is the best of four winners for her dam Qwikchik (Grosvenor), a placed half-sister to Canned Heat (Al Akbar), winner of the ARC Champagne Stakes (Listed, 1200m) in New Zealand and closely related to stakes winner Savvy Dancer (Savabeel).
Aloisia’s unraced third dam Energy Efficient (Fluorescent Light) was imported from the United States and is a half-sister to eight winners, the most notable of them Bet Twice (Sportin’ Life), a four–time Grade One winner of the 1987 Belmont Stakes (Gr 1, 12f), Haskell Invitational Stakes (Gr 1, 9f) and, at two, the Arlington-Washington Futurity (Gr 1, 7f) and the Laurel Futurity (Gr 1, 5.5f). Before his Belmont Stakes victory Bet Twice had been runner-up in the first two legs of the American Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby (Gr 1, 10f) and the Preakness Stakes (Gr 1, 9.5f).
Grade One winner Golden Treat (Theatrical) and Grade Two winner Bold and Gold (Bold Joey) are among other half-relations to Energy Efficient.
While there is no shortage of sprinting factors in Aloisia’s background there are also ample numbers of stouter influences such as Roberto (Hail To Reason), Darshaan (Shirley Heights), Balmerino (Trictrac), Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor), Hermes (Aureole) and Herbager (Vandale) while further back there is a double of the unbeaten Ribot (Tenerani).
Aloisia’s pedigree within four generations is an outcross but she is linebred 3m x 6f x 6m to Northern Dancer (Nearctic), to Hail To Reason (Turn-To) via sons Roberto and Halo and to Turn-To (Royal Charger) with a son and a daugher of Ribot appearing in her sixth remove.