Now named Sentimental Miss (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), the members of her Go Racing ownership group were cheering loud and hard on Saturday when she outstayed her rivals to wear the G1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks crown.
“She was the last horse to get syndicated of all the ones I bought that year,” Bosma said.
“It took ages, but what a great result. One of the owners is Merv Andrews, a former trainer who’s well into his 80s now and he’s here so it’s wonderful for him.”
“It took ages, but what a great result. One of the owners is Merv Andrews, a former trainer who’s well into his 80s now and he’s here so it’s wonderful for him.” – Albert Bosma.
Offered by The Oaks Stud, Bosma purchased Sentimental Miss for NZ$40,000 and subsequently placed her with Awapuni horsewoman Lisa Latta.
Sentimental Miss as a yearling
With her distance-biased pedigree in mind, the grey wasn’t over-taxed last season and placed in two of her three starts and following a break she broke her maiden in the spring.
At her next appearance she showed her quality when third in the G3 Wellington S. and continued to race consistently well.
“It’s been a great training performance and she’s such a laid back filly that we had no doubt she would stay and the blinkers sparked her up.” – Albert Bosma.
Sentimental Miss gave a glimpse of what was to come when she made her middle distance debut in the G2 Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic at Ellerslie where she charged home to finish runner-up. A chequered passage then saw her out of the placings in her Oaks lead-up in the G2 Lowland S.
“It’s been a great training performance and she’s such a laid back filly that we had no doubt she would stay and the blinkers sparked her up,” Bosma said.
“This is the ultimate and what we all do it for.”
“She’s a very easy filly and that’s why putting the blinkers on her didn’t worry me.” – Lisa Latta.
Latta, who also won the Oaks in 2004 with Wharite Princess (NZ) (His Royal Highness {NZ}), made the call for the addition of the headgear and it proved to be a masterstroke at Trentham.
“She’s a very easy filly and that’s why putting the blinkers on her didn’t worry me,” she said. “They made a huge difference.”
Sentimental Miss lobbed along three back on the fence and when the field fanned out on straightening she had all the room she needed to make her play.
With the majority of winners on the day coming down the centre of the track, Latta would have been proud if Sentimental Miss had finished as a minor player but the filly had other ideas.
“I knew she was bred to stay and she kicked so it’s a terrific result for everybody.” – Lisa Latta.
“She came through along the inside and I thought she’d do well to run third or fourth,” Latta said.
“I knew she was bred to stay and she kicked so it’s a terrific result for everybody.”
Beyond The Fort (NZ) (Niagara), unbeaten in her only previous two starts, was a courageous second and went close to giving trainer Bill Thurlow a memorable double, having won the Auckland Cup with Glory Days (NZ) (Redwood {GB}).
Sentimental Miss winning the G1 NZ Oaks with Beyond The Fort in second
Star Karen (Camelot {GB}) came home well from the back for third with Clementina (NZ) (Savabeel) fourth. Her stablemate and favourite Queen Of Diamonds (NZ) (Savabeel) challenged on straightening, but couldn’t sustain her effort and wilted to eighth.
Sentimental Miss was ridden by Lisa Allpress, who was resuming her association with the horse, having only previously ridden the filly when she ran second on debut as a 2-year-old.
“I got a lovely run and she was very relaxed.” – Lisa Allpress.
Allpress said she was able to get a cosy run behind the pace and the gaps opened at the right time to lodge a claim.
“I got a lovely run and she was very relaxed. I could see Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman’s horses in front and they dragged me into it and then I could see they were under the bat. My filly just kept fighting on.”
A half-sister to six winners, Sentimental Miss is out of Nostalgic (Quest For Fame {GB}) who was a non-winner and is a sister to the G1 George Main S. and G1 Champagne S. winner Dracula and the family of the G1 Spring Champion S. winner Complacent (Authorized {Ire}).
Also appearing in the pedigree is Lucky Unicorn (Redoute’s Choice), sire of the G1 Auckland Cup winner Rock Diva (NZ).
Jockey Lisa Allpress aboard Sentimental Miss
Sombre celebrations
Meanwhile, Christchurch couple Kevin and Pam Hughes shared in the devastation of the tragic events in their home city on Friday and it was with mixed emotions that they went about their work the following day at Trentham.
The Riccarton-based trainers joined the country in mourning at the unprecedented level of violence of the terrorist attacks, but they had a job to do with their filly Emily Margaret (NZ) (Pins) and she upstaged her male counterparts by triumphing in the G2 Norwood Family Wellington Guineas.
“It’s great for the filly and South Island, they’ve had just a terrible time of it,” Kevin Hughes said.
“It’s great for the filly and South Island, they’ve had just a terrible time of it.” - Kevin Hughes.
“She always tries yard and there’s not been many times she hasn’t fronted up for us.”
Kevin and Pam Hughes with Emily Margaret
Emily Margaret came into the Guineas off a second on her home track and success at Wingatui and Hughes was expecting another top performance.
“I thought she could run a place. She missed the start and then stormed home, I thought it was a huge run,” he said.
“She missed the start and then stormed home, I thought it was a huge run.” – Kevin Hughes.
Emily Margaret came with long strides to down the previously unbeaten Vigor Winner (Declaration Of War {USA}) and the favourite Dawn Patrol (NZ) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), who looked to peak on his run in the closing 50 metres.
The winner is raced by the Findlay family, who purchased her out of Trelawney Stud’s draft at Karaka for NZ$55,000.
She was bred by David Archer, of Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) and Charles Road (NZ) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) fame and is out of the G3 Taranaki 2YO Classic winner Seven Schillings (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}). It is also the family of the multiple Group 1 winner Avedon (NZ) (Famous Star {GB}).
