Godolphin could possibly have half the field in next weeks Golden Slipper after the number was increased by one when the honest filly Kiamichi earned a free ticket following a dominant performance in Saturday's Group III Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens.
The daughter of Sidestep showed her appreciation of the heavy track when coming to defeat the outsider Crystal Falls (Medaglia d'Oro) by one and a quarter lengths with the winner's stablemate Athiri (Lonhro) a nose back in third. (images Steve Hart)
A winner when making her career debut at Rosehill back on November 10, Kiamichi finished second at Rosehill a month later before having 12 weeks off before her fourth in the Group II Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick.
"She is a tough filly and she hasn't does much wrong," said winning rider Damian Lane,
. I thought her run was good last start and she was tough today. I would say that she was pretty close to her top, but hopefully, she has a little bit of improvement in her and she pulls up okay."
"It was a very positive win, the way that she did it both ends. She didn't get much of a breather through the race and she ticked another box, she can handle the ground."
Godolphin representative Darren Beadman said the filly was a deserving winner after not having much luck in the run.
"It was a very positive win, the way that she did it both ends. She didn't get much of a breather through the race and she ticked another box, she can handle the ground," Beadman said.
"It's a wonderful position to be in, to have the selection of horses that we have got for the Slipper.
"She makes her own luck, obviously if Godolphin does head that way with her she won't have to be doing much."
The Godolphin homebred is the fifth winner from six to race out of the unraced Canny Lad mare Ouachita who is a sister to Group 1 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes winner, Preserve and the Listed winner Rio Osa and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Denman.
Preserve is the dam of dual Group III winner Safeguard who, like Sidestep is by Exceed And Excel.
After missing to Epaulette in 2016, Ouachita foaled an Animal Kingdom (USA) filly on August 21 last year but was not covered last spring.
A half-brother to Group 1 winner Skilled and Group II winner and Group 1 placed Ambidexter, Sidestep won the Group II ATC Pago Pago Stakes and Group II Royal Sovereign Stakes and was runner-up in the Golden Slipper.
After beginning his stud career at Darley, Sidestep now stands at Telemon Thoroughbred in Queensland where his 2018 fee has been set at $7,700.
