Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) has never looked better, according to Te Akau Racing’s head trainer at Cranbourne, Ben Gleeson.

It’s an ominous warning to rivals.

Although Imperatriz dominated the spring with a Group 2 win in the McEwen Stakes followed by three Group 1 wins, Gleeson said she had returned to work in an amazing fettle.

“She looks better now than she did all her last preparation. She’s dappled up and she looks amazing. She spelled really well,” Gleeson said.

He said Imperatriz returned to work at Te Akau’s Cranbourne stables after a two-week break.

“She’s such a good doer; we didn’t want her to put on too much weight. She had a week on the water walker and now she’s got two or three weeks of ticking over quietly before she starts pace work.”

“She won three Group 1s last preparation and she looked amazing, but she never dappled up which you love to see in mares. Sometimes it takes the individual a bit longer to come out of the spring into summer and that was her. Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.”

Te Akau Racing’s Principal David Ellis recently revealed the plan for Imperatriz in the first half of 2024.

Imperatriz will run in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on February 19, then the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on March 22.

Imperatriz will then contest the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 6 before the five-year-old mare returns home to New Zealand for a spell.