NZ Racing News

Go Racing’s superb mare Atishu was the brilliant winner of the A$1 million Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday, a race she came desperately close to winning last year.

In last year’s edition of the race, she came from over 12 lengths off the leader and posted the fastest last 800m, 600m and 200m to get within a length of subsequent Australian Horse of the Year Pride of Jenni.

This year she jumped on terms and was ridden with plenty of patience early as they went at a genuine speed. Coming into the bend she had given the leaders a big start but once her jockey James McDonald asked for an effort she produced an electric turn of foot and despite a determined fightback from a brave Amelia’s Jewel, Atishu snatched the victory by a head.

“What a mare she is,” McDonald said. “She never fails to deliver; she runs her best all the time. She was beaten at the 100 metres and she found enough to win.

“I’m so proud of her, she’s just such a talented mare and she keeps delivering.”

Also bursting with pride for their courageous mare were Go Racing’s Albert Bosma and Matt Allnutt, for whom the win also vindicated a decision to withdraw her from the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale earlier this year.

“For me she’s just a very, very special mare,” said Bosma. “To be able to remain at the top as a seven-year-old and to put in a performance like that it just makes you quite emotional.

“It’s a great credit to the owners that decided to have another year with her and to race on and I still think we have much to look forward to. It would be nice to see her go and defend her title in the Champions Stakes next week.”

“She’s just such a tough mare,” added Allnutt. “She had every reason to lose today she got carted off the track but was just very tough.

“James McDonald said she was out on her feet with a hundred metres to go but she found it in herself to keep fighting and put her head down at the right time. It was super win.”

Atishu has now had 46 starts for 11 wins, 15 placings and has earned $5.5 million in stakes. This was her third Group One victory, having previously won the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) and the Champions Stakes (2000m) on the final day of last year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Flemington has been a particularly happy hunting ground for Atishu, with nine starts at the famous Melbourne track for victories in the Empire Rose, the Champions Stakes, the Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) and the Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m).

Atishu has become a mainstay of trainer Chris Waller’s stable in the three years since Go Racing transferred her across the Tasman. She had previously recorded multiple stakes wins in New Zealand as a three-year-old for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh.

“She’s a beautiful mare and she was brilliant today” Waller said. “She’s been here a long time, and horses like her are so special. When they’ve been with you that long, they’re certainly a big part of the team.

“She had to give away a lot at the start today, but she was brave and has a terrific will to win, particularly at Flemington, and slowly and surely, she ran down a really talented horse.
“It is another Group One where she has made us all proud.”

Waller will strongly consider backing Atishu up for a defence of her title in the Champions Stakes next Saturday, where her opposition will include her Cox Plate-winning stablemate Via Sistina.

“There’s a pretty good chance she’ll be back next week,” Waller said. “She’ll have some good opposition there, but she won’t be worried about them. She’ll be saying ‘look out for me’.”

Bred by Waikato Stud, Atishu is by their champion sire Savabeel out of the No Excuse Needed mare Posy, who won two races and is a sister to the former Champion Three-Year-Old and multiple Group One winner Daffodil. - Additional reporting, NZ Racing Desk

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Group One-winning mare Atishu will be seeking redemption in Saturday’s Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington after finishing runner-up in the race last year to Pride of Jenni.

She backed up a week later to win the Gr.1 Champions Stakes (2000m) in the hands of leading hoop James McDonald, who will don New Zealand syndicator Go Racing’s silks once more and reunite with Atishu this weekend.

The Chris Waller-trained mare has been building towards a peak performance in the race, having finished unplaced in her first three starts this preparation before running third in the Gr.1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) last month.

Go Racing General Manager Matt Allnutt has received positive reports from Waller in the lead-up to Saturday and is excited about her prospects in the Flemington feature, for which she is a $4.40 favourite with TAB bookmakers.

“She finished second in this race last year and ran really well that day and made up a lot of ground in the straight after Pride of Jenni split the field,” Allnutt said.

“Her last run for third was very good and we think she has been building nicely. She has got the right type of form going into the race tomorrow. The draw (9) is a bit awkward, but James McDonald is in the saddle and he has won a Group One on her before at this time of year.

“He gets on with Atishu and knows her really well, and it just increases the confidence levels having James there.

“She came through her last race really well and she galloped on Tuesday morning at Flemington and her work was super. She looks to be peaking nicely for Saturday’s race and Chris is more than happy.”

After posting 10 victories, two of those at Group One level, Atishu was set to be sold earlier this year, however, her ownership group voted to carry on racing her for another year, and they are hoping their decision pays off this weekend.

“It was a big decision (not to sell her),” Allnutt said. “I know a lot of the owners ummed and ahed and changed their mind two or three times a day, but the decision was made and here we are as favourite in a A$1 million race.

“This was part of why the owners decided to carry on, just the excitement and being involved in these massive racedays with such good horses in Group Ones.

“It wasn’t so much about the money, it was more about the excitement and ride Atishu has taken them on in her career, and tomorrow hopefully she writes another chapter and proves it was the right decision.

“There are a group of them (owners) going over tomorrow, and there will be more of them on course next Saturday when she races in the Champions Stakes.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Photo: Atishu will contest the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday, credit: Bruno Cannatelli