It’s been a good day at the office for Kia Ora Stud, who share in the ownership of two stakes-winning juvenile Snitzel colts on Saturday in Blitzburg and Return to Conquer, but the real icing on the cake came with their homebred I Am Invincible filly Inkaruna, who made a winning debut in the $200,000 Group III MRC Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Sandown.
Inkakruna wins the G3 Chairman's Stakes on debut - image Grant Courtney
Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman and ridden by replacement rider Daniel Moor after Craig Williams was ruled out of the meeting due to illness, Inkaruna showed plenty of talent to score a narrow win over the race favourite Sword of Legacy, who was second at her previous start to Cavalry Girl and hit the line hard.
A little flighty in the mounting yard when the jockey got on, Inkaruna soon settled down and was all business once the gates opened and they clocked a brisk 56.86 seconds for the 1000m dash.
"She's usually a calm filly, although she can have her moments every now and then, which the breed can do, but generally she's pretty sensible," said Sam Freedman.
"It's her first day out, it's a pretty hot day, she had a small saddle on as well, and when we put the rider on, she had a bit of a hump.
"All's well that ends well."
Inkaruna and Luke Wilkinson, Racing Manager for Kia Ora Stud - image Grant Courtney
Freedman indicated he was not that keen on a Blue Diamond path for the filly and may look towards Sydney where there is a myriad of options.
Inkaruna was offered in the Kia Ora Stud draft at Magic Millions where she was passed in shy of her $400,000 reserve, but the Freedmans were keen on the filly and delighted to get her into the stable.
Inkaruna is the third winner and first stakes-winner from four foals to race from Ravi, a Group III winning Redoute’s Choice mare that was also bred and sold by Kia Ora Stud and passed in and retained when she failed to make a modest $200,000 reserve at the 2014 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
A full sister to stakes-winning sire Elzaam, Ravi has no yearling for the sales this year, but produced a filly last spring by Zoustar and is now in foal to the young Kia Ora sire Captivant.
Inkaruna is the 114th stakes-winner for champion sire I Am Invincible and is his second new juvenile stakes-winner in the past week joining Group III MRC Blue Diamond Preview winner My Gladiola, who was also bred and sold by Kia Ora Stud.
