Aloisia opened a Group 1 double at Caulfield on Saturday for owners OTI Racing when posting a mild upset in the G1 Thousand Guineas. Connections had previously suggested the Guineas was a means to an end on the way to the G1 Crown Oaks on Nov. 9, and the filly has now cemented herself among the leaders of her generation. Working her way up the rail to sit midpack through the opening furlongs, Aloisia and Luke Nolen had the favourite and last-out G1 Flight S. winner Alizee on their heels as Leather'N'Lace (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) set a moderate pace. Aloisia began to work her way closer, with Alizee as her shadow, as they passed the 600, and as they swung into the straight the pair split, with Nolen opting for the inside on Aloisia and Glyn Schofield taking to the outside on Alizee. Aloisia grabbed the lead from Shoals, who had inherited it at the top of the stretch when Leather'N'Lace packed it in, passing the 200, and the runner-up stayed on gamely as Alizee put in a tame rally late on.
The win was a first Group 1 score for trainer Aaron Purcell, who has taken over the stable of Ciaron Maher while the latter serves a six-month suspension.
It was also the first Group 1 win in Victoria for Nolen since 2014. The former rider of the legendary Black Caviar (Aus) (Bel Esprit {Aus}) has experienced a tumultuous few years with various injuries.
“I let out a few swear words after the line in excitement,” Nolen told Racing.com. “Congratulations to Aaron on his first Group 1, but I think Ciaron had the job previous. He's done an outstanding job with this filly. She did have the perfect run, so hopefully I can keep the ride this prep. On the grand scheme of things, she was a relatively cheap buy out of New Zealand. I think the Oaks was her target this prep, so isn't it bloody awesome?”
“It's not how you win them, it's how you celebrate them, and I'm going to celebrate the bloody hell out of this one,” Nolen added.
Aloisia was expatriated to Australia after finishing second on debut at Trentham on Mar. 18. She broke her maiden in her first Australian outing at Flemington on May 20, and followed up with a second in the G1 JJ Atkins S. on June 10. She was fifth first-up behind Leather'N'Lace in a Caulfield plate race on Sept. 23 over a likely inadequate 1400 metres.
Pedigree Notes…
Aloisia is the first foal out of the young mare Queen Boudicca, herself third in New Zealand's G2 Matamata Breeders' S. The mare has a 2-year-old Keeper (Aus) filly named Wyetta (Aus), and a yearling colt by Swiss Ace (Aus). She hails from the extended family of American Grade I winners Bet Twice and Golden Treat. Click for the free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree.
Saturday, Caulfield, Australia
THOUSAND GUINEAS-G1, A$503,000, MRC, 10-14, 3yo, f, Open Set Weight, 1600mT, 1:36.27, Good.
1–ALOISIA (NZ), 55.5, f, 3, by Azamour (IRE)
1st Dam: Queen Boudicca (NZ) (GSP-NZ), by Perfectly Ready
2nd Dam: Qwikchik (NZ), by Grosvenor (NZ)
3rd Dam: Energy Efficient (USA), by Fluorescent Light (USA)
1ST STAKES, GROUP & GROUP 1 WIN. O-Oti Racing (Mgrs: T
Henderson & S Driscoll), S & Mrs S Layton, J & Mrs J Spence, L
Webb, Ms D McKeown, Ms M Webb, D & Mrs D Miller, J Boyd,
Mrs L Dodd, R Koch, Jjagg Synd; B-M Hall, J A & Mrs K A Price,
Waikato, NZ; T-Aaron Purcell; J-L Nolen; A$303,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-2-2-0, A$487,567. Werk Nick Rating: First SW From
Cross. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Shoals, 55.5, f, 3, Fastnet Rock–The Broken Shore, by
Hussonet (USA). O-Pinecliff Racing (Mgr: J B Munz) &
Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd (Mgr: J M Messara); B-Arrowfield
Pastoral Pty Ltd NSW; T-Anthony Freedman; J-M Zahra;
A$90,000.
3–Alizee, 55.5, f, 3, Sepoy–Essaouira, by Exceed and Excel.
O-Godolphin; B-Darley NSW; T-James Cummings; J-G
Schofield; A$45,000.
Margins: 1.3 len, 2.1 len, 5.9 len. Odds: 13.00, 3.40, 1.15.
Also Ran: She's So High, Mintha, Booker, Pure Scot, Leather'n'lace.
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.
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