Having taken Midnight In Tokyo until her 31st start to secure her first black type victory, the 7yo daughter of Kobayashi has now recorded four black type wins in her proceeding eight starts, highlighted by Saturday’s fighting effort in the $250,000 G3 ATC Show County Quality (1200m).
Last seen at Randwick during her 3yo season when finishing fifth in the Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m), with those ahead of her including G1 Queensland Derby winner Kovalica (NZ) and G1 Epsom Handicap winner Rediener, Midnight In Tokyo headed down from her Queensland base off the back of a Doomben trial win.
From barrier six in the field of eight, jockey Ben Thompson took the Todd Pollard trained mare forward where she settled in the lead with Matcha Latte in second while the favourite Soothsayer appeared to be getting a gun run in fifth on the rail.
Full of running with ears pricked, Midnight In Tokyo was keen to go faster as the mare took the field into the Randwick straight while Rachel King started to come up along the rails aboard Soothsayer.
Showing plenty of fight in the run to the line, Midnight In Tokyo was simply too strong, securing her first group victory by a neck from Soothsayer with a half neck back to Matcha Latte in third.
Taking her record to nine wins (four at black type level) and 13 placed efforts from 37 starts, Midnight In Tokyo has taken her earnigns past the $1m mark.
Clearly overjoyed with the win, Pollard could hardly hide his pride in the mare.
“It’s absolute euphoria when it’s like this,” said Pollard. “It has its days for sure, but we’re lucky we’ve got a mare like her to be running well for us and to come to Randwick is just so special. When you’re travelling with a horse this is where you want to be.”
“I thought there was a lot in her favour. There was nothing I could knock about her today, and when she found the front I thought, if he could keep her going (she was a chance). They were coming late, that’s for sure.”
“She only just sees out the 1200, but if she can get in a good rhythm, squeeze her up and kick away and put a bit of a margin on them, I thought the favoured horses might be a bit too far back to catch her. It worked perfect.”
As for where she will head next, Pollard said she will target further races in NSW in the coming weeks.
“She will get home safely, and we’ll come back for the Sheraco in three weeks. I’ll talk to the owners. She’s seven-years-old and she’s coming up to retirement age, but the McKenzie family, they’re awesome. They’re up in Rockhampton, they’re not here today, but they’ve just been so good for me in my early stages.”
Having most recently ridden Midnight In Tokyo to a Listed placed effort back in November, jockey Ben Thompson was full of praise for the team behind the mare.
“I have a credit to Todd Pollard, Claire and his team,” said Thompson. “I tell you what, he's hit a lot of bullseyes in a short amount of time, and he nailed it with her. He knows her really well through taking care of her for Annabel and Rob Archibald prior to going on his own.”
“She's just a happy mare. She's just turned seven, she's not showing any signs of it. Off the back of an honest run in a Tatts Tiara, it's a short turnaround. He just marked this race spot on, and she did the rest for me.
When asked about coming down from Queensland for the race, Thompson pointed towards the result of the previous on the Randwick card.
“Well the way that Pembrey won the last, and her, they'll all be looking to venture up. But obviously, two quality Queensland fillies, and a mare have won today, it’s great to be part of it.”
Bred by Aquis Farm, Midnight In Tokyo is the third winner from four to the races out of the Casino Prince mare Orabelle, a three-quarter-sister to the Listed winner All Too Royal and a half-sister to G3 winner Bel Merci.
Also, the dam of the G2 ATC Challenge Stakes winner Generosity (Divine Prophet), Orabelle is herself a daughter of the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner Bel Mer.
Currently based at Parson Creek, Orabelle’s current 3yo is an unraced Russian Revolution filly named Bella Tatiana in the stable of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr who finished third in her most recent trial.
The mare’s Capitalist 2yo colt is currently unnamed, while she unfortunately missed to both Farnan and Stay Inside in the following two seasons.
Midnight In Tokyo is the best of four stakes performers for I Am Invincible’s Listed-winning son Kobayashi who is standing this season at Aquis for a fee of $9,900 (inc. GST).
