Inkaruna (AUS)
Inkaruna (AUS)
2 f I Am Invincible – Ravi by Redoute’s Choice
O: Kia Ora Stud W S
B: Kia Ora Stud Pty Ltd
T: Anthony & Sam Freedman
W: Chairman’s Stakes, Gr 3, 1000m, February 1, Sandown
Kia Ora Stud unearthed yet another talented juvenile on Saturday when their homebred filly Inkaruna (I Am Invincible) secured an impressive debut victory in the Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Sandown.
Jumping well from barrier eight under Daniel Moor, the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained filly travelled just behind the leaders in midfield, surging to the lead with an inside run at the 200-metre mark, and held on in a photo-finish to defeat the Dom Sutton-trained Sword Of Legacy (Too Darn Hot) by 0.1 lengths, with Gavin Bedggood’s Hot Sea (Too Darn Hot) a further 1.7 lengths away in third.
After Saturday’s win, Sam Freedman said the three-week gap to a second outing in the Blue Diamond (Gr 1, 1200m) was now problematic for the filly, with Sydney targets later in the autumn potentially 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.”
Freedman said he and father Anthony had liked Inkaruna at the sales but was out of their price range.
“We liked her, but didn’t quite have the budget,” said Freedman, now more than content with training the filly.
Inkaruna was offered in her breeder’s draft at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, she was passed in $20,000 shy of her $400,000 reserve.
An impeccably bred filly, Inkaruna is the fourth foal and third winner out of Ravi (Redoute’s Choice), a dual stakes winner who is a full-sister to Elzaam, a Listed winner in England and was also thrice Group-placed.
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.
Inkaruna’s win notched up the 114th stakes winner for Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), and the second juvenile black type winner of the season after My Gladiola.