Atishu Earns First Group 1 Win in Queen Of The Turf

The Chris Waller-trained Atishu tasted her first success at the top-level at Randwick April 8 as she proved far too good for her rivals in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (G1) and in doing so became the 31st group 1 winner for Waikato Stud's headline sire Savabeel .

Atishu scored convincingly by 2 1/2 lengths over the gallant Hope In Your Heart, with More Secrets outrunning massive odds to finish third another half a length away.

Having won the Matriarch Stakes (G2) last November, the Bill Ritchie Handicap (G3) in 2021 and a brace of listed races when she was trained by Stephen Marsh in New Zealand, a group 1 was the missing piece of the puzzle on Atishu's resume and Waller was delighted to see her clinch that milestone. 

"It's not all about the boom horses, it's the late developers as well and that's the beauty of spring and autumn you can see things change a lot. To her credit she didn't have a lot go her way in the spring. She's got her group 1 today," said Waller. 

"It was a great return. That day she had a wide draw and today she had a perfect draw and Nash (Rawiller) rode her accordingly. Just got her out in a nice spot and switched her off and had a saloon passage through and it was pretty to watch.

"She stood flat-footed in the barriers a few times. She's enjoying her racing, she's wanting to be there and it showed at the 300 meters today how serious she is about being a racehorse."

Purchased by Albert Bosma's Go Bloodstock for NZ$260,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Yearling Sale, Atishu is out of dual-winning mare Posy, making her a sister to the group 3 winner Mazzolino. 

Posy is a sister to the multiple group 1-winning champion filly Daffodil  and she is the dam of a trio of stakes-placed runners.

Posy produced a filly by Savabeel in 2020, before slipping to the same stallion in 2022 and has most recently been served by Savabeel's son and stablemate Noverre  last year. Savabeel enjoyed a brilliant afternoon last weekend as I Wish I Win took the TJ Smith Stakes (G1) and Major Beel landed the Australian Derby (G1) and the stallion is sitting second behind I Am Invincible  in the race to be crowned Australia's Champion Sire by earnings.