Stakes targets looming for Imwonderfultonight
25 OCTOBER 2023, Joshua Smith LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
Stakes targets are looming for the Windsor Park Stud co-owned racemare Imwonderfultonight following her win in the Karl Davis Team Bayleys – A Sure Bet 1100 at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The victory extended her unbeaten streak in New Zealand to two and trainer Sam Mynott believes the five-year-old mare has a bright future in-store.
“She is a class mare and she showed that on Saturday,” Mynott said.
“She won her maiden last time at Hastings and there was so much form that came out of that race. You never know when stepping up in company on a Saturday but she did really well.”
The daughter of I Am Invincible is raced by Windsor Park Stud and Ben Kwok and began her career in Australia where she had two placings from three starts.
“She had a few issues over there and Rod (Schick, Windsor Park Stud principal) and the team brought her home,” Mynott said.
“Gina Schick did some work with her before she came to me and we slowly brought her up and she just keeps improving.”
A trip south to Riccarton is now on the cards for the five-year-old mare, with an eye towards tackling the Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes (1000m) and Listed Lindauer Stewards Stakes (1200m) over New Zealand Cup week.
“All going well we will go to Riccarton and try and get some black-type down there but that just depends on the ratings and whether she gets in,” Mynott said.
While looking forward to heading south, Mynott has more immediate targets at hand, including heading south to New Plymouth on Friday with Verismo, who is set to tackle the Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1600m).
“I am really happy with her,” Mynott said. “She trialled really nice at Te Aroha the other day. 1600m is probably short of her best but fresh-up she should go a good race.”
The beautifully bred Imwonderfultonight, who raced in Australia as Wonderful Tonight, was a $450,000 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale purchase for her owners Windsor Park Stud and Ben Kwok.
A daughter of Champion Sire I Am Invincible, Imwonderfultonight is out of the Gr.2 winner Forever Loved, a daughter of the brilliant stakes winner Diamond Like. She descends from a significant branch of the famous Eight Carat family developed by Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan during their tenure at the renowned Cambridge Stud.