We mentioned last week that that the Group III Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick in April would be one of the form races of the season and the winner Bivouac did the right thing by bolting home in the Vain Stakes at Caulfield at his seasonal debut.
Making her career debut in the Kindergarten, the I Am Invincible filly Libertini finished a troubled second. The Anthony Cummings-trained filly then closed out her two-year-old season with easy wins over 1200 metres at Randwick and the Listed Woodlands Stakes (1100m) at Scone. (image Steve Hart).
Libertini kick-starts her classic season in Saturday’s Group II Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
But unlike Bivouac there will be no $3 on offer. Her form and sparkling trackwork and barrier trials have seen bookmakers put her up deep into the red.
Bred by Gerry Harvey and raced with his good mate John Singleton, Libertini was bred to be good and she is certainly that.
She is the best of three winners from as many to race out of the Encosta de Lago mare Aloha who was also bred and raced by Harvey.
Trained by Mick Price, Aloha won 8 and placed in 6 of her 20 starts while banking $804,974.
She won three stakes races highlighted by the Group 1 Coolmore Classic on a miserable day at Rosehill Gardens back in 2011.
Ridden by Glen Boss, Aloha emerged from the gloom at the 400 metres to defeat Jersey Lily by two and a quarter lengths. (image Mark Smith)
It was her fifth consecutive win and it turned out to be her last.
After a further three starts, Aloha was retired for a date with More Than Ready (USA).
The result was the colt My Prince Charming who won a couple of races while Aloha’s second foal Hualalai, a $625,000 Street Cry colt, won races at Kembla and Rosehill in a career restricted to 7 starts before covering 36 mares at Ducatoon Park last spring.
A half-sister to the dam of Group II winner My Emotion (Savabeel) and the granddam of Group 1 ATC Champagne Stakes winner Seabrook (Hinchinbrook), Aloha is out of the Listed VRC Ottawa Stakes winner Tennessee Midnight (Danehill) who is a half-sister to Group 1 VRC Darley Classic and Group 1 BRC BTC Cup winner Malaguerra (Magnus).
Aloha has a 2yo filly by Sebring and a yearling filly by I Am Invincible. She was bred back to the champion Yarraman Park stallion again last year.
