The well-named Amarela (a Portuguese breed of chicken) is pleasing her connections and us at the stable this campaign.
She is by the great sire Pentire who has sired at least one stakes-winner each season for the past 12 seasons, out of the Danehill mare Chickens (hence her name). She won her second race at Pakenham on the 30th August in a pretty good Benchmark 70 race over 1400m.
(Pictures courtesy of slickpixvic.com.au)
Earlier this preparation, she had a strong tendency to over-race. It has taken Nigel, her track riders and race jockeys a little time to accustom her to settle in her races and conserve her energy. We saw a glimpse of her best at Pakenham, and her track work since has convinced Nigel to run in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes today at Flemington.
Nigel and her connections recognise the strength of this field – it could easily be a Group 1 mares field. But we think Amarela will acquit herself well on the spacious Flemington track.
Whatever she does today at Flemington, there is no doubt she will benefit from a break in the near future to mature further and furnish into a bigger, stronger mare.
This is Amarela being offered on account of Haunui Farm (NZ) at 2013 at the NZ Bloodstock Premier Sale. We are very pleased that she is the sixth winner trained at Blackiston Racing bred by our great friends at Soliloqoy Lodge. And we hope she helps Pentire sire a stakes-winner for the 13th straight season, in 2015/16!
And lastly, wouldn’t it be great for Nigel to train the winner of the Let’s Elope Stakes – a mare he had a lot to do with during her race career – and on Bart Cummings Memorial day at Flemington.