The Group I ATC Golden Slipper produced a brilliant finish with the cream of the juvenile crop rising to the occasion and the top three in betting finding their way into the first four past the post, but the surprise packet in the first four was an I Am Invincible filly now undisputedly Australia’s best maiden.
A homebred for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, the Tony McEvoy trained Oohood made the winner Estijaab earn her victory, sticking on gamely to test the Snitzel filly before going down by a long head with her stablemate Sunlight in third place just ahead of the Blue Diamond winner Written By.
“It was a great effort. I thought at the 100m when I was coming I was going to get there but the winner kicked a little bit as I was coming and held me at bay,” said her rider Zac Purton.
While much has been written on Estijaab, the performance of Oohood marks her as a horse to follow and she too has a blueblood background.
A half-sister to stakes-placed Breakfast in Bed and six other winners, Oohood is from metropolitan winning Sunday Silence mare Bella Sunday, who was bred by Arrowfield in partnership and sold at the 2002 Magic Millions where she made $420,000 to the bid of Rogerson Bloodstock.
Oohood came with a big pedigree as she is a half-sister to stakes-winner and leading sire Not a Single Doubt being from terrific producer Singles Bar, a daughter of famed matriarch Easy Date, the third dam of the 2007 Golden Slipper winner Forensics.
Bella Sunday did her racing for Ron Finemore and the Arrowfield partners before going to stud for them and it was not until she was offered at the Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale in 2013 that she came into the ownership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.
She was purchased at that sale by Tim Stakemire on behalf of the Sheikh for just $110,000 and her subsequent foals since 2013 including Oohood have been foaled and raised at Coolmore.
Oohood has yet to miss a place in five starts earning a tick over $800,000 and her Golden Slipper second was preceded by a third in the Blue Diamond.
While she went to the post at $16 in the Slipper, it is very unlikely punters will get such good odds about Oohood in the future.
The performance of Oohood and win of Hellbent in the Group I MVRC William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night has put their sire I Am Invincible into second place on the Australian General Sires List with progeny earnings in excess of $10.9 million.
