Waikato Win big with Golden Eagle triumph
Waikato Stud cashed in on a memorable day in both Sydney and Melbourne, as their silks were delivered to victory in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill, while perennial Group 1 placegetter Icebath (Sacred Falls) broke through at the elite-level in the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Flemington.
Victory for I Wish I Win (Savabeel) in Australia’s second-richest race completes a remarkable rise to stardom for the horse, having been born with a severe leg deformity that almost curtailed his career before it had begun.
The son of Savabeel (Zabeel), who is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Another Dollar (Ocean Park), was unable to be sent for sale because of his defect, but has now won in excess of $5.5 million with his latest triumph.
Trained by Peter Moody, who also features in the ownership of the gelding, I Wish I Win soared past his rivals in the straight, hitting the front with 200 metres still left to run, but held on to defeat the closing Fangirl (Sebring) by a nose, with Gypsy Goddess (Tarzino) three-quarters of a length back in third.
I Wish I Win could only finish fifth when sent off as favourite for the Toorak Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) earlier this month, but bounced back yesterday under Luke Nolen, famed for his partnership with the Moody-trained star Black Caviar (Bel Esprit).
“They pay on the line,” said Moody, in reference to the narrow victory.
“Great thrill, congratulations to the team at Waikato Stud. We had faith in this horse and people thought he was disappointing in the Toorak, but the track just didn’t suit him that day.
“Luke [Nolen, rider] gave him a gun run today, presented him at the right time and got the job done, God bless him.
“This is the second biggest turf race in the world. We’ll take it.”
Winner of the Testa Rossa Stakes (Listed, 1300m) two starts back, I Wish I Win has now won five of his 13 starts.
Speaking to ANZ Bloodstock News’ Trevor Marshallsea following that win, Waikato principal Mark Chittick recalled when he first laid eyes on I Wish I Win as a foal.
“I took one look and just said ‘He’s a shocker’,” he said.
“I do always say they’ve spent 11 months in a pretty tight compartment, so there’s a fair bit of unfolding to do. Sometimes you get horrific looking things – like their bumpers are touching the ground and hooves are pointing upwards, but once they straighten out, the tendons strengthen up, things move more into place.
“Unfortunately, or fortunately, when this one was born it was one of those things. It just looked like he’d been assembled and his leg was put on wrong. You wondered, ‘Will he straighten out or will he not?’ It became pretty evident after three or four weeks he wouldn’t.”
I Wish I Win is the seventh foal out of two-time winner Make A Wish (Pins), herself a half-sister to Group 1 placegetter Ambitious (Last Tycoon), dam to Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter Strike The Stars (Savabeel), and Ampin (Pins), who in turn is the dam of Livamol Classic (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Savvy Yong Blonk (Savabeel).
Having missed to Savabeel in the two years after foaling I Wish I Win, Make A Wish returned a colt by Ocean Park (Thorn Park) last year.
I Wish I Win, who is one 17 stakes winners from 128 runners bred on the Savabeel-Pins nick, sent his sire to the top of the Australian sire premiership in collecting the $5.25 million first prize. He sits $233,000 clear of Scissor Kick (Redoute’s Choice), whose Giga Kick won The Everest earlier this month.
I Wish I Win was representing the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation charity, which earned $525,000 after the four-year-old’s success.
Over at Flemington, joy was matched with sheer relief as Icebath, placed at Group 1 level on no less than five occasions, finally broke through at the elite-level when winning the Empire Rose Stakes.
The Waikato Stud-bred six-year-old, who also finished second in the 2020 Golden Eagle, produced a dominant performance to win by a long neck ahead of Mirra Vision (Lonhro) ($61) in the fillies and mares Group 1.
Excelida (Exceed And Excel) threatened but could only finish third, a length and a half from the winner. New Zealand-trained pair La Crique (Vadamos) and She’s Licketysplit (Turn Me Loose) finished fourth and eighth respectively.
Icebath backed up from a disappointing ninth-placed finish when defending her The Invitation (1400m) title last weekend, but improved on the quick turnaround to provide Hawkesbury-based trainer Brad Widdup a first Group 1 success.
“She finally showed all the faith we had in her, she’s come through and got the maiden Group 1,” assistant trainer Andre Rabbett told Racing.com.
“She does race well on a one-week back-up, she’s done that a couple of times before, and having that trip down here last year, this was always the plan.
“It took a lot of faith from Brad and the owners to back her up after her last run, we just had to draw a line through that run, we got her back home, there was nothing wrong with her.”
Icebath was ridden by Craig Williams, who dismounted the filly on her way back to the winner’s enclosure.
“I know she’s an unusual character … She was really good, but then she started to freeze and be a little bit upset after the race,” Williams said. “She started running backwards and there’s nothing worse for a jockey. I thought if I got off her she’d be a bit happier, but she wasn’t. She did all the running to get the Group 1, so she made me do all the running to get home. At least I know that I’m fit.
“There were a couple of runs this preparation against Anamoe, Zaaki, the best horses, and last time looked a bit plain, but maybe she had a hard time on a couple of heavy tracks. Since she’s come down here she’s thrived.”
Icebath, who was a $100,000 buy from the Sledmere Stud draft at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, joins Aegon as a Group 1 winner for her sire Sacred Falls (O’Reilly), who died in December 2019.
Out of the metropolitan winner Fabulist (Savabeel), she is a sister to Group 3 winner Courier Wonder and a three-quarter sister to Listed winner Nowyousee (O’Reilly) and to the stakes-placed winner Just Fabulous (O’Reilly).
Fabulist has a two-year-old yearling filly by Sacred Falls and a yearling filly by Super Seth (Dundeel) named Superfabulistic.