The AU$1 million Rupert Clarke Stakes (G1) at Caulfield provided a dream result for trainer Gary Portelli when Kimochi captured her maiden group 1 success Nov. 16 in the green and white colors of her relatively new owners, Yulong.
After disappointing last time when seventh in the Empire Rose Stakes (G1) at Flemington Nov. 2, a return to the scene of her Thousand Guineas (G1) second behind Joliestar saw the 4-year-old bounce back, as she thundered down the center of the course under Craig Williams to deny the Ciaron Maher-trained favorite Another Wil in the dying strides.
The mare returned the half-length winner, with Steparty rounding out the placings another 1 1/2 lengths behind the pair.
Craig Williams notches up his SEVENTH Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes aboard Kimochi, getting the better of Another Wil in a narrow finish 😎#TheWrap pic.twitter.com/vkSkTmyCCR
— Racing.com (@Racing) November 16, 2024
Kimochi joined the Yulong operation following her AU$2.2 million sale to Ilsay Vale at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in May when she was offered as part of the Twin Hills Stud draft. The daughter of Brave Smash began her first campaign under her new ownership with a promise of things to come, claiming the AU$250,000 Quality Stakes (G3) at Randwick in August.
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Kimochi then posted fourth-placed efforts in both the Manikato Stakes (G1) and Silver Eagle Stakes (G3) prior to her Empire Rose seventh. Portelli said he began to feel the pressure to deliver at the highest level.
“There was a bit of pressure on us, Yulong have been on fire with their famous colors in the last few weeks,” the trainer told Racing.com post-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 1,400 (meters, about seven furlongs), no weight on her back, champion ride. She was a long way back at one stage; it was a brilliant ride from barrier 13 to get one off.
“It is a dream come true for us. We need the bigger (owners) behind us, that helps, and we’ve repaid their faith. They paid $2.2 million for her at the Inglis sales. We’ve been able to win a group 1 now and she’s worth probably three times that now.”
When passing the post on Saturday, Kimochi secured the eleventh group 1 win for Yulong Investments in Australia and continued a dominant spring for Yuesheng Zhang’s operation.
Saturday’s win adds to Via Sistina ‘s record-breaking Cox Plate (G1) triumph and her electric win in the Champion Stakes (G1) at Flemington, while the operation also celebrated VRC Oaks (G1) success with homebred Treasurethe Moment.
Bred by Aquis Farm, where her sire began his stallion career, Kimochi was purchased for just AU$21,000 as a yearling by Hall Of Fame Bloodstock at the Sydney Weanling Sale in 2021 out of the Valiant Stud draft.
She is the second foal and second winner out of the unraced I Am Invincible mare Summer Fun, a sister to group 3-placed Real Charisma. This season, Summer Fun produced a colt by Kia Ora’s first-season sire Farnan and was covered by Snitzel in September.
Kimochi’s first group 1 victory was also a first for her Yaraman Park Stud sire Brave Smash, who currently stands for a fee of AU$33,000, unchanged from last season.
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