Go Indy Go, Hana's Goal Dominant at Randwick
Description:
Go Indy Go will be prepared for the Victoria Oaks (gr. I) later this year after her impressive win over males in the Moet and Chandon Champagne Stakes (Aus-I) for 2-year-olds April 26 at Royal Randwick.
Once again demonstrating the superiority of fillies this season, the daughter of Bernardini produced a scintillating burst of acceleration from last on the turn and capped a sweep for her gender in Sydney's three elite 2-year-old races. Her win followed Mossfun in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Aus-I) and Peggy Jean in the Sires' Produce Stakes (Aus-I).
Next-to-last in the early running, with only Peggy Jean behind, Go Indy was angled widest of all entering the straight. Picking off rivals while rallying furiously down the center of the track, she struck for a one-length triumph as three opponents vied shoulder to shoulder in the closing stages.
Runner-up Zululand and 151-1 shot Unknown Destiny fought for the early lead with third-place finisher Kumaon before those two got clear in the straight. They were joined by fourth-place finisher Scratch Me Lucky and the three matched strides for the places.
Peggy Jean made a quick move to pass Go Indy Go about 600 meters out and went wide into the straight, but she could not keep pace and finished fifth.
"As soon as I balanced her up down the straight and asked her to quicken she did exactly that and put a good field away very easily," winning rider Chad Schofield told TVN about Go Indy Go. "It was an incredibly dominant win."
Go Indy Go, who is out of the winning Zabeel mare Elegant Eagle, completed 1,600 meters (about one mile) in 1:40.29 on turf rated as slow.
Trained in South Australia by Australian Racing Hall of Famer Leo Macdonald for a partnership that includes breeder Harry Perks, Go Indy Go is a full sister of Essay Raider, who won the D. C. McKay Stakes (Aus-III) by three lengths, also April 26 at Morphettville.
Go Indy Go improved to 2-2-0 from four career starts. Her record includes a victory in the Sportingbet South Australian Sires Produce Stakes (Aus-III) April 12 at Morphettville in her previous outing.
Japanese raider Hana's Goal was tardy out of the gate but finished fastest of all in taking the Schweppes All Aged Stakes (Aus-I) by a dominant two lengths from Weary, with Tiger Tees finishing third.
Hana's Goal stunned seven opponents with a brilliant come-from-behind swoop up the rise in the final group I race of the Sydney Easter Carnival. Last entering the straight, she uncoiled a powerful outside rally nearing the 300-meter mark and rapidly closed ground to lead in the final 50 yards.
With Nash Rawiller aboard for trainer Kazuhiro Kato, Hana's Goal was timed in 1:24.64 for 1,400 meters (about seven furlongs) for her first win from three Australian starts that included a sixth in The Star Doncaster Mile (Aus-I) April 12 at Royal Randwick and a fourth in the Coolmore Classic (Aus-I) March 22 at Rosehill Gardens.
Owned by Michael Tabart, she won the 2012 Tulip Sho (Jpn-III) at Kyoto and was aimed for the Oka Sho (Jpn-I, Japanese One Thousand Guineas), but a stall accident a couple days out forced her to miss the race. She has a 6-1-1 record from 22 career starts.
Hana's Goal is by Orewa Matteruze, a 14-year-old son of Sunday Silence, and is out of the winning Shanghai mare Shanghai Jell.