New Group One Winner for Northern Meteor

Progressive four year-old Northern Meteor mare Amanpour scored a bold front running win in the Group I ATC Queen of the Turf Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

Stepping up to a mile at her third run back from a spell, the Gai Waterhouse trained Amanpour indicated she would be hard to beat with a good last start second to Catkins over 1500 metres in the Group II ATC Emancipation Stakes.

Ridden a heady race by Kerrin McEvoy, Amanpour made play in front and was able to turn the tables on Catkins, holding off a determined bid from the gallant grey to win by a length and three-quarters.

“She is such a tough mare,” Waterhouse said.

“We took her to Melbourne for the spring, and the owners asked if she was up to it. She showed today she was. She was fantastic.

“She really put a gap between her and the rest of the field.”

A Gooree Stud homebred, albeit for Mr Henry Cojuangco, Amanpour has won four races and placed eight times from 18 starts earning nearly $900,000 in prizemoney, but this was surprisingly her first Black Type win.

The 16th stakes-winner and fifth Group I winner for ill-fated Gooree Stud bred Widden Stud based sire Northern Meteor, Amanpour is a full sister to stakes-winner Sports Edition and half-sister to stakes-winner Turf Express being the best of three winners from Marscay mare Newscaster

Newscaster has a weanling colt by another Gooree Stud bred Group I winning sprinter in Your Song, who stands at Widden Stud.

The last crop of yearlings by Northern Meteor have been super popular at sales in Australasia this year selling for up to $575,000.

Widden Stud in conjunction with Woodside Park Stud in Victoria stand his best son,  dual Group I winner Zoustar, whose first foals will be born later this year.