Amelia’s Jewel ready for the east after scintillating Northerly win
Star WA filly shines as trainer Simon Miller claims first Group 1 winner with daughter of Siyouni
Amelia’s Jewel glistened and Australian racing watched on in awe as Western Australia’s star filly stepped up to her first Group 1 challenge with aplomb to win yesterday’s Northerly Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) at Ascot, with the best of the east now awaiting the all-conquering daughter of Siyouni (Pivotal).
Trained by Simon Miller, who claimed his first Group 1 win, Amelia’s Jewel now boasts a record of six wins from seven starts, and becomes the first filly to win the Karrakatta Plate (Gr 2, 1200m), WA Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) and Northerly Stakes (formerly the Kingston Town Stakes).
Jumping from the inside barrier, the well supported Amelia’s Jewel ($2.90 fav) travelled ominously behind the leaders for the majority of the 1800-metre trip under regular jockey Pat Carbery, before pouncing late with a storming turn of foot to prove far superior to her 14 rivals. Ironclad (Dubawi) ($61) finished a length back in second, with Steinem (Frankel) ($12) a further half-length adrift in third. Godolphin raider and early market favourite Cascadian (New Approach) ($3.20) finished fourth, but none were in the same league as the impressive Amelia’s Jewel.
“She’s just a freak, she’s got an unbelievable engine, a huge stride and a great brain. It was 44 years since a horse had won the Karrakatta and the Guineas, and she ticked that one off. Her gallop on Tuesday was just superb, and it was what she did leading into the Guineas, so I knew we had her on track,” Miller said.
“We’ve been peppering away, so at some stage it was always going to happen,” said Miller on training his first Group 1 winner. “To be honest, it didn’t worry me. I’m just happy to win anywhere, whether it be here or a Northam maiden.
“It’ll probably sink in over the next couple of days. But this time in I really wanted the Guineas and we got it, so this is a bit of a bonus.”
Amelia’s Jewel also provided a momentous moment for her veteran owner-breeder Peter Walsh, the Amelia Park principal declaring the victory his best moment in a long and varied career as a breeder.
“I’ve waited 50 years for this, but it’s been worth it. It’s been surreal. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” an emotional Walsh said in the aftermath of the race.
“She’s a superstar, we love her. She’s brought so much joy to us. She’s been behind the eight ball, they had to put her on a fat diet, and what he’s done has been amazing.”
Walsh recalled the moment the plan was hatched which led to the foaling of Amelia’s Jewel, having been in awe of Aga Khan stallion Siyouni (Pivotal) on a visit to the French stud in 2018, subsequently purchasing Bumbasina (Canford Cliffs), the dam of Amelia’s Jewel, for 75,000gns from the Tattersalls July Sale and sending her to the two-year-old Group 1 winner.
“I’ve got to give credit to my wife [Annie], who was behind all this,” Walsh continued.
“She said ‘Peter, grow some balls and bloody buy her [Bumbasina] and get on with it’.”
For Carbery, the win in the inaugural Northerly Stakes had special meaning, having 22 years ago ridden superstar Western Australian galloper Northerly (Serheed) to his first three victories, including the RJ Peters Stakes (Gr 3, 1500m) at Ascot.
“This is by far my biggest thrill in racing,” Carbery said.
“We just got into a great spot and I was able to get off the fence. I was following the one I wanted to be following [Bustler], I didn’t expect it to be like that, I thought it would be a lot trickier from barrier one
“She settled so well, the pace went on mid-race which made it even nicer. It got a bit cluttered up when Searchin’ Rocs came around, but she quickened up so good through a pretty tight gap and it was unbelievable.
“We set ourselves a plan to be here, and her last start meant that we were on track and the three-year-olds have a great record [in the Northerly]. We never doubted her.
“I’ve won on Northerly before, so that makes it even more special. You would never have expected him to get to the heights he got to when I was riding him in the early days. He was always a very good horse and it’s great to have such a good race named after him.”
Amelia’s Jewel (3 f ex Bumbasina by Canford Cliffs) becomes the eighth individual Group 1 winner and first in Australia for her sire Siyouni, a winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Gr 1, 1400m), who has now had 832 individual starters worldwide.
The stallion has earned notable success in Australia, with Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Aylmerton and last season’s juvenile stakes winner See You Heaven both being by the sire, who has had 24 runners Down Under.
His success has added to his popularity among Australian breeders, with several taking mares to be covered to southern hemisphere time, while Yulong Investments purchased one of only three mares in foal to Siyouni at this week’s Tattersalls December Sale.
Siyouni’s five-time Group 1 winner St Mark’s Basilica has shuttled to Coolmore Australia this season, where he stands for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST), while Siyouni himself is set to stand a 13th season at stud next year for a fee of €150,000 (approx. AU$232,545).
Buyers will be keenly keeping watch of Amelia’s Jewel’s yearling half-brother by Blue Point (Shamardal), who is catalogued as Lot 690 in the Segenhoe draft at next month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, while Bumbasina’s two-year-colt by Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) was purchased for $160,000 by Yenrise at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale earlier this year.