Champion trainer Chris Waller and astute bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster have a happy knack for finding value at Karaka and a Churchill (IRE) colt they purchased from Book 1 last year for $170,000 opened his account at Eagle Farm on Saturday winning the Listed BRC Phoenix Stakes (1500m) at just his third start.
Eighth and fourth at his first two metro starts in Sydney, Imperialist did enough to earn a trip north and given a cool ride by James McDonald he hit the line hard to power past race favourite Aemelius to win by half a length.
“He’s a nice progressive horse and he did a good job out there today. It’s nice to win in these colours again,” James McDonald said.
“He sprang into life out of the stalls but he’s still pretty new and he did a few things wrong, but he’ll be right.”
Imperialist has all the makings of a very nice three year-old for next season.
“James did a great job with him weaving a path through and settling him in the first part of the race, shutting him down so he could do the rest in the second half,” said Chris Waller, who will give consideration to starting Imperialist in the Group I BRC JJ Atkins (1600m) next Saturday.
“He’s a two year-old with a bright future.”
Consigned by Curraghmore, Imperalist runs for a big group of stable clients and carries the colours of Noel Greenhalgh.
Bred by Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham in conjunction with Demi O’Byrne’s Arkle Bloodstock, Imperialist is the first winner for Dancing Hare, a three time winning Fastnet Rock mare from a top class European female family with her third dam the noted blue hen Solo de Lune, the dam of 11 winners highlighted by Group I winners Cerulaean Sky and Moonstone.
Dancing Hare produced a filly by Satono Aladdin (Jpn) last year and was then covered by Ocean Park.
Imperialist is the 25th stakes-winner for Churchill (IRE), who returns to Coolmore Australia this spring at a fee of $19,800, and is his second from a daughter of Fastnet Rock.
