4YO Kimochi brought the Yulong racing empire its seventh Gr1 for the Spring and ended a frustrating run of top-level placings with a stirring breakthrough victory in Saturday’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield.
Ridden to perfection from gate 13 of 14 by Craig Williams, the Gary Portelli-trained mare found an ideal spot in running one off the fence towards the tail of the field, and surged home in the straight to win a titanic battle with Another Wil and prevail by almost half a length.
Kimochi ridden by Craig Williams wins the Sportsbet Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse (Pic – Pat Scala/Racing Photos supplied by Inglis)
Kimochi (Brave Smash) first went through an Inglis sale when bought by expat Hong Kong businessman Leo To’s Hall Of Fame Bloodstock for just A$21,000 from the Valiant Stud draft, who consigned her on behalf of breeder Aquis Farm, at the 2021 Australian Weanling Sale at Riverside Stables.
Her 2YO and 3YO seasons saw her build a strong record with her 13 starts yielding two wins, including the Gr2 Light Fingers Stakes, and nine placings – three of them at Gr1 level – before she was offered by To at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in May.
Presented in the Twin Hills Stud draft, the then 3YO was bought by Yulong associate Ilsay Vale for A$2.2 million, making her the third-highest priced lot of the auction.
With Yulong deciding to keep her in training as a 4YO, she has made that decision look an inspired one with a lucrative Spring preparation.
In her first run in Yulong’s famed green and white in August, she defied a three-wide run to win Randwick’s Gr3 Toy Show Quality.
She is now a Gr1 winner, bringing Portelli his ninth success at the top level, her Yarraman Park sire Brave Smash his first, and Williams a phenomenal seventh victory in the Rupert Clarke.
“There was a bit of pressure on us – Yulong have been on fire with their famous colours in the last few weeks,” Portelli said with a smile after the race.
“I was able to win first-up with her and she’d just hit a couple of little flat spots since. Back to the 1400m today, no weight on her back (52.5kg), and a champion ride; it was a brilliant ride from barrier 13 to get one-off the fence.
“She was a long way back at one stage but it is a dream come true for us. We need the bigger owners behind us, that helps, and we’ve repaid their faith.
Yulong General Manager Vin Cox was overjoyed with the victory – and not just because he’s been close friends with dual Golden Slipper winner Portelli for more than 30 years.
“It’s very exciting, and terrific for Gary,” said Cox, who excused himself from the vote at Yulong to decide whether or not to leave Kimochi with his old mate.
“From the moment we bought her, Gary said, ‘I’m going to win a Gr1 with this mare’.
“He was confident and then he was true to his word, more importantly, and delivered in the Rupert Clarke.
“We’re absolutely over the moon to have won a Gr1 with her and add to her race record and her pedigree.”
Cox said Yulong had been determined to buy Kimochi when she was entered for the Inglis Chairman’s sale.
“At that stage, she was a Gr2 winner with good potential racing upside,” Cox said. “You always hope you’re going to win a Gr1, though you can never expect it. She was only three at the time, so you felt there was always the opportunity to hopefully win some nice races.”
For Twin Hills owner Olly Tait, Kimochi’s Gr1 coronation capped a long association with the mare.
“Leo bought her as a weanling and we got her after that, and looked after her as a weanling and yearling,” Tait said.
“When Leo decided to sell her, we got her back and got her ready for the Chairman’s sale.
“She sold herself really. Her form was so good, and she was so good looking, but still she sold well.
“The Chairman’s sale obviously is a great place to show off those fillies of that calibre, and Inglis did a great job in helping us promote her.
“It was a good result for the seller and for the buyer. We thought at the time she sold very well. Now she’s won a Gr1, it looks like she was very well bought indeed.
“She’s a deserved Gr1 winner, after being placed in a number of Gr1s before today. She’s a most beautiful filly, and I’m just delighted to see her win today.”
Portelli, famed as the trainer of, amongst others, A$20,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase and Gr1 Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign, said winning Gr1s was of huge significance.
“It’s important. We’re only a small stable and most of our owners are just mums and dads who want to get involved in racing. We give them an experience they wouldn’t get in some of the bigger stables,” he said.
“So, for us to get a Gr1 gives them confidence that any horse that comes through our stable, we can get them to win at this level.
“I have a great team behind me that do the work at home and I want to thank them as well. They are the people that go behind the scenes that don’t get thanked enough. We’ve got some nice horses coming through, so the race is not over for me just yet.”
The last Gr1 day of the year on Australia’s eastern seaboard capped a special spring for Yulong, after Zhang’s tens of millions of dollars’ worth of investment in establishing the enterprise in the past few years.
“It doesn’t matter how big or small you are, to win seven Gr1s in the spring is a phenomenal statistic,” Cox said. “I hope we can do it again, but I fear it may not happen.”
Kimochi, who is one of 102 Gr1-winning Inglis graduate since 2018 and one of 45 that could have been bought for A$100,000 or less, brought her career earnings past the A$1.9m mark with today’s win.
The win also proved a tremendous result for Kia Ora Stud, who purchased the dam of Kimochi, Summer Fun, for just A$80,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
Making the day even better for the green and white army of Yulong, their Kris Lees-trained 2YO filly Gobi Desert – the top lot at this year’s Inglis Classic sale – won impressively on debut in Newcastle’s Max Lees Classic over 900m.
By star sire Too Darn Hot out of Hell It’s Hot, Gobi Desert was a A$600,000 purchase at the Classic sale, sold through the draft of North on behalf of breeders Fred Moses, Peter Brown and Bob Charley.
Meanwhile, Inglis Premier Yearling sale graduate Jasmin Rouge (Dundeel) rewarded trainer Clinton McDonald for his faith by winning the Gr3 Thoroughbred Club of Australia Stakes over 1200m at Caulfield at just her second start.
Bought by McDonald for just A$70,000 from the Segenhoe Stud draft at Premier, the 3YO followed a debut third just three weeks ago by flying home from eighth on the turn to win by 0.75 lengths under Ben Melham.
Jasmin Rouge led home a 1-2-3-4 in the race for Inglis graduates, defeating Premier graduate Tobeornottobe and Easter filly On Display.
She continues a fine tradition at Premier for Segenhoe, with their recent graduates of the sale including multiple Group winner and triple Gr1-placed sprinter I Am Me, Stakes-winning, Gr1-placed Hypothetical and high-class 3YO Reserve Bank.
“We have had incredible results with yearlings we’ve sent to Premier, from small numbers,” Segenhoe’s General Manager Peter O’Brien said.
“It’s a sale that’s been very good to us. Jasmin Rouge went for a bargain price, but Clinton saw in her what we saw in her.
“I always loved her. She wasn’t your typical big and imposing sales horse, but she had a beautiful mind and a beautiful action.
“Sometimes you can take a horse to a sale and they don’t tick every box, but Clinton actually loved her, so I’m particularly delighted for him.”
And at Riccarton in New Zealand on Wednesday, well-related 4YO mare Acquarello (Written Tycoon) claimed a valuable Group win at her first start in Stakes company in the Gr3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes over 1400m.
The Rifa Mustang-bred filly was offered through the Sledmere draft at Easter and was bought for A$400,000 by agent Andrew Williams, who purchased her on behalf of owners Brent and Cherry Taylor of Trelawney Stud.
The 2021 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale was a particularly successful one for Williams who sourced not only Acquarello, but also Te Akau’s Group-winning sprinter Sans Doute and Gr3-placed mare Petrucci, who also raced in the Trelawney Stud silks.
Inglis Digital is offering high-class filly Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau) through a standalone Digital Sale, bidding for which will open on Monday and close on Tuesday November 19.
‘The Bold Bastille Sale’ showcases the most precocious 2YO of her generation, a triple Stakes-winning 2YO from a reputable speed family, who is being offered as a racing and breeding prospect.
Click here to see the listing.
