Roots led home a Group 2 trifecta for Chris Waller in the Emancipation Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday and that sets up a Group 1 campaign for the Press Statement mare in Brisbane.
“That was her grand-final in Sydney and it’s really special particularly with our other mares Atishu (Savabeel) and Finepoint (Pins) being placed,” Waller said. “Now we will give Roots her chance to reach the pinnacle in the Tatts Tiara.”
The $700,000 Tattersall’s Tiara (Gr.1, 1400m) at weight-for-age will be run at Eagle Farm on June 24.
Winning jockey Brenton Avdulla declared Roots was well presented and perfectly placed on Saturday. “She was off the bridle first-up over 1300m and maybe the edge was off her a fraction last time out to 1600m. She jumped well today and executed really well at 1500m around here. We settled in the right spot and she quickened like a nice mare.
Roots becomes the 6th Stakes-winner by Vinery sire Press Statement after black-type placings at Randwick, Moonee Valley and Rosehill. She won the $250,000 Inglis Bracelet (1600m) at Flemington in the spring and the Emancipation sent her earnings through to $500,000.
A $52,000 graduate of Vinery’s draft to the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, she was purchased by Kinya Murakami and he sold a significant share in her twelve months ago to agent Sheamus Mills and his clients Heath Newton and Anthony Roberts.
“I thought she should have beaten Fangirl as a 2yo,” Mills said this time last year. “Then Fangirl won the Carbine Club at Flemington which made me think she was a bit better than I initially thought. She’s such a beautiful mare with so much quality. She’s a gem!”
Roots was bred by Vinery partners Greg Perry, Steve McCann, Neil Werrett and Alan Green together with Brian Singer. Her dam Arctic Success (Big Brown) is a half-sister to 2003 Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr.1, 1200m) winner Polar Success. Perry sent Arctic Success back to Vinery sire Exceedance for an early September cover last year.
Hoofnote: Sydney-based bloodstock agent Satomi Oka (FBAA) recommended Roots to Murakami at the 2020 Classic Sale and she bought Vinery’s Exceedance – Sharpness yearling colt for $360,000 on behalf of Masaji Kitagawa at the Gold Coast Magic Millions in January.
