Horse racing: Imperatriz not carrying dead weight

Superstar sprinter Imperatriz has an advantage punters can’t see when she tries to equal Black Caviar’s modern-day weight-carrying record for mare in the A$1.5 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington tomorrow.

The Kiwi mare has to carry 58kg, giving away up to 6kg, as well as navigating an uninterrupted path from a potentially tricky barrier 3 in the big field.

Although a 58kg topweight is never fun in a Group 1, Imperatriz at least has the bonus of none of that being dead weight as regular jockey Opie Bosson will be sitting around 57kg tomorrow so it will be him and his saddle on the mare’s back, no added lead.

“I think it helps, not having to add any dead weight for her to carry,” says Bosson. “It is still a lot of weight but she is very good as we know and a lot might depend on how the track is playing and whether the barrier ends up being good or bad.”

Although Imperatriz has history against her, the reality is this is not a super strong Newmarket, with maybe the next four best sprinters in Australia, or even more, missing.

So while some punters may struggle to back Imperatriz as favourite carrying the 58kg, it is also hard to make a case for backing any rivals to beat her.

She isn’t the only Kiwi sprinter in the race with stablemate Skew Wiff a bolter’s place chance and the lightly-tried but well-travelled Master Fay one of the great stories of the racing year so far.

He started his career trialing in New Zealand, went to Hong Kong and had one race on New Year’s Day 2021 and returned to New Zealand and didn’t race for three years.

Master Fay has now had two starts for new trainer and part-time cowboy Chad Ormsby and won the Concorde on Karaka Millions night.

He is talented and fast but with some physical frailties. So if he can win the famed race at career start No4 and Ormsby turns up in the Flemington winner’s circle in his giant cowboy hat, it will instantly become an iconic moment in racing.

The Newmarket is already set to be run early (5.05pm, NZ time) but could even move forward two hours, with Racing Victoria official to make a call on a 10.45am start time for the meeting if tomorrow’s forecast 38 degree high still looks likely by this afternoon.

By being at Flemington, Bosson has had to forego the ride on unbeaten filly Captured By Love in the $450,000 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie tomorrow, with Warren Kennedy his replacement.

Captured By Love is undoubtedly Group 1 class but finds herself only second favourite behind Karaka Millions winner Velocious.

“I think it will be a really good race and I can’t split them,” says Bosson.

“She [Captured By Love] is a classy filly but we all saw what Velocious did on Karaka Millions night.”

Today’s Taupō meeting plays host to the $150,000 Lowlands Stakes, transferred from the abandoned Hastings meeting last week, with Sudbina the favourite for what is also a crucial lead-up to next Saturday’s NZ Oaks.

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.

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