Opie Bosson attributes Imperatriz's ascent to the pinnacle of sprinting over the past year to her remarkable resilience, emphasizing her ability to remain “niggle-free.”
Trained by Mark Walker, the five-year-old mare enters Saturday's Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick with an impressive tally of ten Group 1 victories, having suffered only one defeat since her last appearance in Sydney in March 2023.
Reflecting on Imperatriz's consistent performance, Bosson shared insights with Racing NSW, stating, “She's hardly missed a beat since then, she's got a pretty good record. I just think she's niggle-free.
“She's always had a lot of issues with her back but she's overcome a lot of them with maturity and she's got a bit stronger. She always puts in.
“The last two preparations have been pretty much faultless.”
Assessing Imperatriz's prospects for the upcoming race, Bosson expressed confidence, saying, “She's got the form on the board.
“People are worried about the Sydney way around but I'm not too worried about that, she's won that way around before back home.
“My biggest query is if we get too much rain but she has won on a heavy track.”