A litany of falling just short in big races has cost Icebath $4.8 million over her career. If there is any karma in racing, her turn will come in Saturday’s Epsom at Randwick.
The Sacred Falls mare has still amassed $4.5 million in prize money, but there isn’t a medal for second in racing, so the group 1 trophy cabinet remains bare.
Icebath takes out the Invitation last year, her biggest win, which she will out to usurp in the Epsom at Randwick on Saturday. Credit:Getty
More than once her connections have celebrated as winners only to see another number go up as the victor.
Icebath has five times been placed in group 1 miles, with four of those at Randwick and two in the Doncaster. It’s an imposing, but luckless record.
“I want to win one mainly for her because she has been so close, so many times,” trainer Brad Widdup said. “The money is good but watching the presentations burns.
“They don’t hand you these races, you have to take them and I think she can in the Epsom.”
Icebath trainer Brad Widdup.Credit:Getty
Icebath started her run of disappointments in the Golden Eagle two years ago, when a check at the 300m saw her go under by a nose to Godolphin’s Colette.
“You look what was on camera after the race it was us celebrating because we thought we had won, even running second was great in a race like that,” owner David McGrath said. “We were still celebrating until the number went up.
“The same in Doncaster [in 2021] I didn’t see Cascadian in those [Godolphin] blue colours, and either didn’t Icebath.”
The Golden Eagle second-place finish resulted in a $2.6 million difference in prizemoney.
‘We were still celebrating until the number went up’
Icebath owner David McGrath on the series of near misses
The Doncaster margin was a head six months later when a brilliant Jay Ford ride was matched by Jamie Kah on Cascadian.
So, when Superstorm dived through the centre of the pack to beat Icebath by a short half head in the 2021 Cantala Stakes, it was a familiar pain and another $840,000 difference in the bank balance.
Widdup has left nothing to change in the quest to win that elusive group 1 with his star mare and believes this is Icebath’s best chance after she was three-quarters of a length from Anamoe in the George Main Stakes following up from runner-up finish to Zaaki in the Tramway Stakes.
“She is the best horse I have had, but she hasn’t won a stakes race, but everyone knows her,” Widdup said. “We targeted the Invitation last spring, and it was great to win that – but I grew up wanting to win a group 1 and a big Randwick mile.
“We have been close more than once with her. The thing this spring is everything has gone right and I can’t look back and say I wish that didn’t happen.
“We have run second to two of the best horses in the country in the lead-up and get into the Epsom with a good weight.
“This has been her best preparation, and we get to the race we wanted to win in great order. There is not a lot more you can ask for.”
Icebath has the favourite tag at $4 with most bookmakers and has the benefit of premier jockey James McDonald in the saddle to hopefully steer a winning course. She also gets the wet conditions she excels in.
“To get James to ride her was just another plus. He is very hard to get in any race, let alone a group 1, and he will ride her at 54.5 [kg] handicap,” Widdup said. “She gets a small field, a wet track and as I said I can’t have her any better.”
Icebath might not start favourite for the Epsom with Hinged at $4.20 and Bill Ritchie Stakes winner Top Ranked at $4.40 likely to have supporters.
But in the end for Icebath’s owners the Epsom is about legacy.
“She has been a great horse to us in terms of prizemoney, but we walked down the tunnel at Randwick and see those group 1 winners’ pictures every time we race there,” McGrath said.
“I want to be able to stop and see Icebath on that wall.”
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