Brave Angel (NZ) Too Strong in 1000 Guineas

A powerful late burst carried Karaka graduate Brave Angel (NZ) (Tavistock) to black-type success in Saturday’s A$100,000 Listed Schweppes Ascot 1000 Guineas (1800m) at Ascot in Perth. 

Offered by Brighthill Farm in Book 1 of Karaka 2019, Brave Angel did not meet her $50,000 reserve. Saturday’s 1000 Guineas was the second win of her seven-start career, and lifted her career earnings to A$134,810.

A third placegetter in the Group Three WATC Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) two starts earlier, Brave Angel was overlooked in the betting for Saturday’s three-year-old fillies’ feature. But jockey Peter Knuckey got her to settle well in fifth spot, one off the rail, before turning her loose in the straight in pursuit of the front-running hot favourite Solaia (Toronado).

Brave Angel went into full flight and finished over the top of that highly rated rival, charging past to score by three-quarters of a length.

Saturday’s 1000 Guineas victory added valuable black-type to a quality pedigree page for Brave Angel, who is raced by her breeder Neven Botica and trained by Simon Miller. Brave Angel’s half-sister Astara (NZ) (Dalghar) won the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) and Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m).

Brave Angel’s win completed a stakes double in Perth on Saturday for Kiwi-breds, with Western Empire (NZ) (Iffraaj) dominating the A$100,000 Listed Lex Piper Stakes (1600m) with a five-length romp earlier in the afternoon.