Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
With a gallant performance in track record time, Angels Brew (3 f Harry Angel – Velocitea, by Volksraad) made it back-to-back course/distance vicotories in the $17,000 The Oaks Stud Rating 74 970 metres on 17 June at Cambridge (poly-track).
The winner of three trials, including one by seven lengths, before drawing out to win easily by two lengths in the Maiden 2YO & Up 970 metres on 20 May, Angles Brew not only faced a sharp rise in class to Rating 74 grade, but also had to overcome a three-wide trip on the pace.
Ridden by in-form apprentice jockey Hayley Hassman, recording her eighth win for trainer Pam Gerard, Angels Brew was caught three-wide in third after beginning well from barrier seven, but travelled comfortably nonetheless and found plenty in the straight to defeat dual winner and twice stakes placed Lady Iris (U S Navy Flag).
“She’s put a nice field away today which have all proven themselves, but she’s come out on top and I’ll be excited to see where she goes,” Hassman said.
“Comfortable and breathing was the key to her. It’s not ideal being three-wide on speed, but she copped it really well and did it nicely.
“She’ll be in my blackbook, that’s for sure.”
Having won her Maiden in 55.6 on the poly-track, Angels Brew shaved a second off (effectively six lengths) to win in 54.6, which broke the previous track record (54.7) for 970 metres, and she paid $3.80 & $1.80 on the NZ TAB tote.
“She’s a wee darling and we always knew she had lots of speed, but I thought the step up today looked a little bit impossible,” Gerard.
“All credit to her, she wasn’t going to let the other horse get past her and she’d settled nicely just off the pace.”
Prior to the race, Gerard intimated that Angels Brew would now have a break, and she confirmed that afterwards.
“The plan was to go to the paddock, bring her back, and I think she deserves to have a go at some good races in the spring. She’ll now be at a tricky spot in the grades, but she’ll be a year older.
“We’ll see how she comes through it, but she is very well at the moment and went a bottler of a race.
“There are some nice races around over shorter distances, but I’m still looking forward to seeing her get over a bit further and see how far she can get. Obviously, it’s a very fast family, but she’s doing everything right at the moment and we’ll take her slowly and see what she can do.”
Owned by Ballymore Racing NZ Ltd, I H & M Harrison, P G Magill, Mount RSA Racing Syndicate, Savvy Racing Mako Syndicate & Ms G Workman, Angels Brew was purchased by Ballymore Stables / Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Catheryne Bruggeman for $55,000 at the Karaka 2024 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Ralph Thoroughbreds.
Crowned World Champion Sprinter, sire Harry Angel (Dark Angel) had a Timeform rating higher than four Everest (1200m) winners and became Leading Australian First Season Sire, by Stakes Winners, during the 2023/23 season.
A Darley shuttle stallion between Australia and Europe, Harry Angel has produced 20 individual stakes winners, including multiple Group One winner Tom Kitten.
As an inherent source of speed, Angels Brew became the seventh individual winner out of Goodwood Sprint (Gr. 1, 1200m) winner Velocitea, by Champion Sire and Champion Broodmare Sire Volksraad (Green Desert).
Interestingly, Angels Brew has no bloodline crosses through the first five removes of her pedigree, similarly nor does 10-time Champion Sire Savabeel (Zabeel).
Angels Brew was strapped by Ballymore Racing apprentice Joe Nishizuka, who was aboard for the Maiden win on Angels Brew, but currently suspended from riding until 19 June.