Black Mamba Strikes in Grade 2 Beverly Hills Handicap

Karaka graduate Black Mamba won her second consecutive Grade 2 US$150,000 Beverly Hills Handicap (2000m) at Hollywood Park today.

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�Black Mamba

Black Mamba (Black Minnaloushe x Sneetch, by Grosvenor), who won this race last before scoring her biggest career victory in the Grade 1 John C Mabee Handicap at Santa Anita, is trained by John Sadler in California and was today partnered by jockey Garret Gomez.

Owned by Doubledown Stables, Black Mamba has now won five races from 25 starts and over US$800,000 in stakes, with connections eyeing back to back wins in the Group 1 John C Mabee Handicaps �in early August.

Bred by Hawke's Bay businessman Sam Kelt and Sue Foote of Keltern Stud, Black Mamba (NZ) was sold as a yearling by Trelawney Stud at the Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$120,000.

She was purchased by Cambridge-based Murray Baker who trained the grand-daughter of Storm Cat to a win, and a creditable fifth in the Group 1 NZ Oaks, from ten starts before she was sold to American interests.

Now a mare with plenty of residual value, Black Mamba hails from a family packed with recent stakes success. Out of Group 3 winner and Group 1 Oaks placed Sneetch, Black Mamba is a half-sister to Gussy Godiva, dam of 2009 Group 1 Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor (Montjeu) and newly acquired Waikato Stud prospect Rios (Hussonet), a Group 2 winner who joins Danny O'Brien's Flemington stable from Murray Baker's yard.

Further stakes success for the family include this season's HK-3 HKJC Sprint Trophy victor Kildare (O'Reilly), Listed Otago Breeders' Stakes winner One Love (Danasinga), and one time Group 1 NZ Derby leading contender Sufficient (Zabeel).

Black Mamba's half-brother by Coolmore's Oratorio was bought by local agent, Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock, for $325,000 at Karaka's Premier Sale in January.

Sneetch is due to foal to New Zealand's 2007/08 Champion Sire O'Reilly in 2009.