There were plenty of progressive metro winners on Wednesday and one that caught the eye was I Am Invincible filly Smoky Kitchen, who won on debut at Sandown in the colours of her breeder Rick Jamieson of Gilgai Farm.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Thomas Stockdale, Smoky Kitchen scored a narrow win in a competitive finish to the 1000m fillies maiden and will take huge benefit from the outing.
“Big congrats to Gilgai, Rick, Kelly and the team, we have taken our time with her but she has always shown nice ability, we had her up and ready to go, but Ciaron elected to back off and give her more time,” said assistant trainer Jack Turnbull.
“She has only had the one jump-out off a three week break and she was really good.
“She stepped a bit average but she did muster and did everything quite professionally after. We have a fair bit of time for her, so the fact that she has won today sets us up to go down stronger avenues.”
Smoky Kitchen was offered by Gilgai Farm at Inglis Easter fetching $300,000 to the bid of Baystone / Malua Bloodstock / M Houldsworth, but a post-sale issue with lameness saw her returned to Gilgai Farm, which may well prove a blessing in disguise for her breeder.
She is the third winner from three foals to race from Group II winning Savabeel mare My Emotion, a half-sister to the dam of Group I winner Seabrook from the family of Group I winner Aloha, who produced two Group winners by I Am Invincible in Libertini and Hawaii Five Oh.
My Emotion produced a filly by Ole Kirk last year, but then missed to the same sire so will have no foal this year.
Smoky Kitchen looks a bright prospect for Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible, who has already sired the winners of over $1million in the first month of the new racing season.
