Group 1 winning mare Amelia’s Jewel is back from a beneficial spell with Annabel Neasham in new surroundings at Warwick Farm.
Now a rising 5yo, she was last seen finishing down the track in the Group 1 Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in May. Owner-breeder Peter Walsh reports Amelia’s Jewel spent three weeks pre-training before transferring to Neasham’s south-western Sydney stable earlier this month.
“She was going to spell for six weeks up at Segenhoe Stud but we had to cut it short because she had already put on 48kg,” Walsh said from Vasse. “I’ve just received a video and she looks absolutely magnificent.
“I don’t have any regrets sending her to Sydney. We couldn’t keep bringing her back and forth from the east and winning black-type over there means a lot as a broodmare.”
Amelia’s Jewel (pictured with Sarah Brown) has any amount of options during the Sydney spring carnival with Group 1 races like the second edition of the King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 19. It’s worth $5 million and is run at weight-for-age on the same day as the $20 million The Everest (1200m).
“We aren’t thinking about The Everest,” Walsh declared. “Hopefully those mile to middle distance races are a good fit but I’m going to leave it to Annabel.”
Amelia’s Jewel was a unanimous choice for 2022-23 WA Horse of the Year following a Group 1 triumph in the 2022 Northerly Stakes (1800m) at Ascot. And she’s in the mix again for the 2023-24 title off two Group 2 victories at the Melbourne spring carnival in the MVRC Stocks Stakes and VRC Let’s Elope Stakes.
Her Irish-bred dam Bumbasina (Canford Cliffs) was purchased by Astute Bloodstock’s Louis Le Metayer as agent for Walsh in 2018. She foaled Amelia’s Jewel first-up following a southern service to Siyouni (Fr) at Haras de Bonneval in Normandy.
Her current 2yo Bosustow (Blue Point) was Group 1-placed in the BRC J J Atkins Stakes (1600m) at Eagle Farm last month and he will be winning a stallion-making race soon enough for a Rosemont Stud syndicate that includes Walsh.
Bumbasina returned to France in May 2022 to visit Siyouni and the result was a very impressive colt who will be sold at the Gold Coast Magic Millions in January next year through Segenhoe Stud. The mare is due again to Siyouni during the upcoming southern spring.
Le Metayer targeted Bumbasina in Ireland as a winner at Gowran Park and Killarney who then progressed to Listed placings in the Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes and Navigation Stakes. “She’s a neat mare with lots of quality, a big action, and a very athletic body shape,” Le Metayer recalled. “She also comes from a strong female family.”
