The international invasion for the Golden Eagle will start on Saturday with star New Zealand mare Imperatriz making the trip across the Tasman for the Silver Eagle at Randwick.
Twice a group 1 winner in her 13 starts, which have resulted in nine victories over the ditch, Imperatriz will represent Te Akau racing after the decision to miss the group 1 Arrowfield Stake at Hastings on the weekend because of a wet track in favour of chasing the $1 million on offer in Sydney.
“We were always coming for the Golden Eagle, but the $1 million lead-up seemed a better option for us than running here on a wet track,” trainer Mark Walker said.
“She is continuing to improve and we’re confident she can measure up against the horses over there, and she will fly over early in the week.
“We gave her a gallop at Te Rapa the other day and I was very happy with her.
“She’s actually come on in the coat this week, which is a sign of further improvement and Opie [Bosson] was very happy with her, so it’s the right time to come over.
Converge takes out the Randwick Guineas in March and will be one of the top picks for Saturday’s Silver Eagle.Credit:Getty
“We just would like a good track when we get there.”
Te Akau have a great record when they bring horses to Sydney and only bring their best to Australia.
Randwick Guineas winner Converge will also feature in the Silver Eagle after Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott decided not to risk him on the heavy track in the Epsom. The drop back in trip to 1300m is a concern, but Converge’s dislike for soft ground made it an easy decision.
“It’s no use running him on heavy tracks, he has shown that enough times, so we have freshened him up a bit with this race in mind,” Bott said.
“The Golden Eagle is the race will have targeted, and you have to get him there peaking on that day and the Silver Eagle gives us the best chance to do that now.”
Golden Eagle favourite I Wish I Win will follow the path of last year’s winner I’m Thunderstruck through the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday, while Queensland Oaks winner Gypsy Goddess worked between races at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday with Willie Pike making the trip north for the gallop.
David Vandyke’s plan is to go into the Golden Eagle first-up with Gypsy Goddess, which not unfamiliar for him in a Golden race. He almost pulled off a coup with Yankee Rose, when she was first-up in the Golden Slipper first six years ago, running second to Capitalist.
Meanwhile, Australian Turf Club racing manager James Ross confirmed on Saturday that Light Infantry will make the trip to Sydney, but Aidan O’Brien has decided against bring Tenebrism down under, who beat Light Infantry in the Prix Jean Prat earlier in the year.
“They decided to keep him in Europe, but we are going to have a number of one-wayers on the plane that arrives on Everest day,” Ross said.
“We still have Light Infantry coming, which will be highly competitive against our four-year-olds.
“You have to remember that Top Ranked, which won the Epsom [on Saturday], came out on this plane last year, so we are attracting the right sort of horses.”
Ciaron Maher bought Light Infantry, who finished midfield in 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, with the Golden Eagle in mind earlier in the year.
“If he can win the Golden Eagle, it will make him a cheap horse,” Maher said. “We bought 50 per cent of him and David Simcock’s owners stayed in the other half.
“David has been training him over there and he went had a racecourse gallop at Newmarket over 1400m during the week and they were very happy with him.
“He is ready to get on the plane out here and will be there for a month for the Eagle and go back to David to be prepared for the big carnivals over there.
“The idea is for him to go back to England for Royal Ascot and Goodwood because he’s the sort of horse that is going to train on. Colin [McKenna] and Ozzie [Kheir] wanted a horse they race around the world and I think he fits the bill.”
