Molly Bloom (NZ) Bursts to TAB Karaka Millions 3YO Favouritism

With a spectacular Group One performance in Christchurch over the weekend, exciting filly Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) has leapfrogged her way to the top of the market for the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie in January.

Race sponsors TAB now offer odds of $4 for Molly Bloom, making her an equal favourite alongside last year’s $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) hero Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin).

Molly Bloom was a super-impressive winner of Saturday’s $500,000 Group One Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. It was the second win of a five-start career for the rising star, who was bought for $150,000 by Wexford Stables from Book 1 of Karaka 2022 and has now earned more than $309,000 in stakes.

“Months and months of planning went into this,” co-trainer Andrew Scott told LOVERACING.NZ on Saturday. “Back in April, we said that we’d stop, get her in the paddock and out in the nice good grass, then get her back in and build her up through the spring.

“In the Guineas, we saw her finish and what she’s capable of. We haven’t seen that from her through one thing or another in her last couple of starts, so just to see that performance, that’s the exciting part going forward.

“There’s a wide span of owners. She was actually one of the slowest horses to syndicate that we’ve had. We even went to the local tractor dealer and said, ‘Come on, you need to buy a share in a racehorse.’

“We’ve got a huge group of owners, a lot of them having their first horse, and they’ve enjoyed the journey – right from the breaking, right through the educational process and the build-up in to the Guineas. They’ve really thrived and embraced it and shared our excitement. So it’s huge and it’s great. We want to keep on encouraging that.”

Saturday’s Group One heroics earned Molly Bloom a sharp rise in the ratings, soaring from 69 up to 84 and the top of the order of entry for the Karaka Millions 3YO. Tokyo Tycoon sits just below her on 80.

The runner-up in the 1000 Guineas was Impendabelle (Impending), who is also Karaka Millions eligible and now has a rating of 79. The TAB rates her a $12 chance in its Karaka Millions market, which gives her fifth favouritism behind Molly Bloom, Tokyo Tycoon, Lupo Solitario (Satono Aladdin) and Talisker (NZ) (Embellish).

Impendabelle was bought by Brewers Bloodstock for only $80,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2022. Her eight-start career has produced three wins, three placings and $322,525 in stakes.

The TAB Karaka Millions 3YO will be run at Ellerslie on January 27, as part of a blockbuster twilight programme that also features the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and the inaugural running of the $1m Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic 4YO (1600m).