But she has been to Australia twice before and both times impressed with fourths in serious Group 1 sprints down the Flemington straight, so she is an Australian-level elite sprinter and Imperatriz has been too sharp for her over 1200m and 1400m this summer.
Add that the Canterbury Stakes is not a strong Group 1, with many of the better-performed horses using it as a launching pad for their autumn campaigns, and Imperatriz looks to have found the right Group 1.
Champion expat jockey James McDonald thinks so and says while she is short in the market at $1.90, she is the one to beat.
“I know a lot of these horses well and some of them are very good but they are either fresh-up or coming back from a setback,” McDonald told the Herald.
“Imperatriz has been really good back home this summer and if she brings that form to this race, with the 1300m on a good track perfect for her, then she is the one to beat.
“Still, I have been on some New Zealand-trained horses in the last couple of years who have arrived over here with great form and not raced to that level.
“But I don’t think that will happen with her.”
Legarto is in a different Group 1 at Flemington, taking on the boys in the Guineas, and with little in the way of a form reference her stablemate Levante may provide the best indication of where she stands in the Australasian pecking order.
The pair galloped together last week and Legarto’s work was every bit as good as Levante’s according to trainer Ken Kelso, with Levante beating La Crique in the Group 1 at Ōtaki four days later.
That work and a recent trial suggests Legarto is well and most importantly she seems to be maturing, running straight and true rather than getting her head on the side like she did at full speed earlier in the summer.
“I think she is getting better and is the best she has been,” said Kelso from Flemington yesterday.
“She has travelled well, is eating well and I would like to see a good pace and her given the chance to unwind down the big straight.”
That tempo may be crucial to Legarto’s chances as she is unlikely to settle handier than midfield.
The Guineas has serious colts in Jacquinot and Elliptical but Legarto has raw class, is in a stable that has proven they know how to travel horses, and has jockey Michael Dee.
Triple threat
The Kiwis chasing Group 1 glory in Australia tomorrow
IMPERATRIZ
Race: A$600,000 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick, 6pm.
Pros: James McDonald as jockey, meets mixed quality field, in career-best form.
Negatives: No Australian experience, $1.90 price hard to take.
LEGARTO
Race: A$1 million Australian Guineas at Flemington, 6.20pm.
Pros: Fast, Micheal Dee rides, big track suits, working well.
Cons: First time travelling, inexperienced, meets some quality colts.
MR MAESTRO
Race: A$1 million Australian Guineas at Flemington, 6.20pm.
Pros: Proven in Australia, second last week, stable strike rate in Victoria.
Cons: Wide draw, dropping back from 1800m.
