We have seen Imperatriz race for the last time

There will be no return in the spring for Imperatriz as connections confirm that she has run her final race. 

It was not the ideal end to Imperatriz’s racing career, only able to finish 4th in the T.J. Smith in heavy conditions at Randwick last week but she still managed to mark herself down as one of the top sprinters in the world over the course of her career. 

Ten Group 1 wins is an exceptional haul for any horse, to do it in a career which contained only 29 races is something truly special. Imperatriz was in the top couple of sprinters in the world with only Lucky Sweynesse her superior, although the pair never met to be 100% sure.  

From New Zealand to Australia 

Imperatriz would start her winning immediately in New Zealand, saluting in a Group 2 very early in her career as a $12.00 chance, a price that she would never get close to being again as she was sent off at odds on in nine of her final 15 starts in New Zealand and never bigger than $4.20 as she won the first four Group 1 races of her life. 
 
Her best form in New Zealand came over 1600m and it was not until she started racing in Australia that she became known as a sprinter as the level of opposition increased. She would win the William Reid over 1200m on her second start here and Walker would never send her beyond 1200m again. 

Ten Group 1 wins 

Ten Group 1 wins in a career is an exceptional return and 2023 proved to be the best year of her career, claiming five. That made her the winningest horse of the year at Group 1 level, another feather in the cap of connections.  
 
At the age of five, they are calling time with her at an early enough stage given that she has shown no signs of slowing down or losing her ability. It would have been very easy to have given her another year and push towards the 15 Group 1 wins that Black Caviar put up to push Imperatriz into the stratosphere of superstardom.  

Moonee Valley perfection 

While Imperatriz was a star wherever she went, it was on her visits to The Valley where she really shone. She would race at the Melbourne track on five occasions, winning each of them which included both the 2023 and 2024 William Reid as well as the Moir and Manikato at the top level plus the McEwen at Group 2. 
 
The last named will go down as a missed opportunity for some bettors. $3.90 in a Group 2 in hindsight seems like a crazy price, more so given what she did for the rest of her prep, culminating with the Lightning win at Flemington. 

Signing off in the T.J. Smith 

Conditions were very deep at Randwick last weekend, so much so that even horses with winning form on heavy ground were struggling with the ground. Imperatriz had a couple of wins on heavy ground but it was not her preferred surface, 14/16 on good, finishing second in both defeats. 
 
Despite Randwick being on the deep side for her, she ran her usual honest race, beaten just over half a length in total. There was never a doubt when supporting her either with a bet or just emotionally that she would ever give anything other than 100% and that was a huge testament to her temperament.  
 
She will now be sold as a broodmare at a public auction where she will become the highest-earning breeding prospect to ever go through the ring in Australia. Another accolade for her! 

There were few sprinters anywhere in the world that possessed the natural speed and talent that Imperatriz had. While it will be a shame that we will not see her on the track again, we hope that we will have the pleasure of seeing her offspring burning up the turf in time.