Outstanding broodmare Leone Chiara delivered a third stakes-winner at Hawkesbury on Saturday when her five year-old Sebring gelding Embacer won the $140,000 Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m).
A half-brother to dual Group I winner Star Witness, Group III winner Nostradamus and Group I placed Lady Lupino, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Embracer has always shown ability in easier grade and was having his first run back from a spell and first run since being gelded.
Tuned up with a couple of recent trials, he was ready to rumble and with Tim Clark on board scored a dominant length and three-quarter win.
A $280,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Widden Stud draft for his trainers, Embracer has the overall record of six wins and five placings from 14 starts with prizemoney topping $334,000.
“Now he’s a gelding he’s relaxing in his races that bit more as before he was inclined to overdo it, that was where he was vulnerable and what stopped him taking the next step,” said Adrian Bott.
“Hopefully now he’s ready to right on with it.”
Embracer was bred in partnership by B2B Thoroughbreds, who also bred and sold two year-old Capitalist colt Gleneagles, an impressive winner the Clarendon Stakes earlier on the Hawkesbury program.
Embracer is one of eight winners from blue hen Leone Chiara, a Group III winning sibling to Group II winners Chinchilla Rose and Ferocity as well as stakes-winner Chiaramonte.
Now, 21 years of age Leone Chiara had no foal last year after missing to Star Witness’s sire Starcraft, but appears to be in foal to Lonhro.
Embracer is the 67th stakes-winner for Widden Stud’s much missed sire Sebring, whose last yearlings are being sold this year.
