Tenacious mare My Gladiola (I Am Invincible) scored a deserving maiden G1 victory when defeating Cavalry Girl in an Inglis graduates quinella in today’s G1 Moir Stakes at Sandown.
The John McArdle-trained 4YO mare My Gladiola has raced exclusively in black type company during her 13-start career and was already a dual Stakes winner and twice G1 placed prior to today.
But she emerged as a genuine G1 spring player by defeating a quality group of sprinters today in what was her first run for the preparation.
McArdle bought My Gladiola for $550,000 at the Easter Yearling Sale, where she was offered by her breeder Kia Ora Stud.
She is now a three-time winner of more than $1.5m in prizemoney.
My Gladiola becomes the 125th individual Inglis graduate to win a G1 since 2018.
With significant rain forecast for Melbourne in the lead-up to and during race day, McArdle was considering scratching the dry track specialist My Gladiola.
But when the bulk of the rain didn’t arrive, McArdle opted to run his mare and she’s now a G1 winner as a result.
“Obviously I was scratching her today but I’m glad I didn’t do that!,’’ an emotional McArdle said.
“She deserved that win, she’s raced against the best her whole life and she’s a Group 1 winner now.
“The 1000m made me confident because I know she’s strong at the end of 1000m but coming in to today, I was as happy as I could be with her until it rained but fortunately we got some sunshine and some wind and she got the job done.
“To win it for Paul and Jacqui Johnson and the crew in her with them including Kia Ora Stud, it’s great.’’
Kia Ora Stud’s Shane Wright added: “She’s the most deserved winner of a Group 1 race in the past 12 months.
“She ran 2nd to Tentyris twice last year and we all know how good he is, she’s been knocking on the door and when the track dried up just enough for her, she did the rest.
“It’s huge for her, it’s huge for the whole team at Kia Ora, congratulations to John and Paul and their teams, she was just such a beautiful filly when they picked her up at Easter, she’s been great for them and they’ve been great for her.’’
My Gladiola firmed into a $6 third favourite for the G1 Manikato Stakes, to be run in three weeks.
