Group 1 racing kicks off in New Zealand
Kiwi Chronicles observed some quite interesting results this week, a number of which almost prompted a name change to The Observer.
On the local front however, the spectacular finishes to the Proisir Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) were most certainly the standout performances.
As commentator George Simon rightly observed, he committed the cardinal sin of giving Lollapalooza (El Roca) no chance when the field turned for home. Two races later, for the Proisir Plate, he, like all of us, was stunned when Quintessa (Shamus Award), from a clear last, sprouted wings from the 200 metres to clobber a high-class field.
Belies pedigree
When right, Quintessa is a force to be reckoned with and she caught punters by surprise with an outstanding straight-long finish in the Group 1 feature. Last before reaching the straight, Rory Hutchings pulled the five-year-old mare wide. Out in the middle of the track with 200 metres to run she still had all but one of the field to pass but with a giant head of steam grabbed the lead inside the 50 metres and was travelling so fast she had a length and a half to spare at the line.
This year’s first Group 1 brought together a strong field including Group 1 winners La Crique (Vadamos), El Vencedor (Shocking), Legarto (Proisir), Waitak (Proisir) and Grail Seeker (Iffraaj), one of the best line-ups for the season opener in some years.
Hindsight is 20-20 but this time last year Quintessa took out the Cockram Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield. That too was fresh up after a break of 20 weeks. Fast forward to Saturday and her situation was similar, the Proisir Stakes her first run since early April.
Her 35 to 1 odds were justified as the Cockram was her last win and in the meantime she had run seven times, admittedly all in group company, with just a third placing in the Mannerism Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) as her best effort.
A $170,000 David Ellis purchase from Book 1 of the 2022 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, Quintessa added win six to the win column and took her earnings beyond $1 million, about two thirds of which she has earned in New Zealand. The Proisir Plate was her second Group 1 as she scored in Trentham’s Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) at three. Her next start after the Levin Classic was a top-class fourth against the older runners in the BCD Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m).
By a Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m)-winning sire from a High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) mare who won five times from 2000 metres to 2700 metres, Quintessa is bred to stay and was given her chance to prove her bloodlines in the 2024 Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) – in which she finished fourth. Yet to win beyond 1600 metres, she belies her pedigree. Fresh, she has brilliance. At three she was quite tenacious and showed a lot of grit when winning. In her three tries beyond 1600 metres her best effort was second (in a head bobber) in the Alister Clarke Stakes (Gr 2, 2040m), not helped by losing a plate when galloped on.
Chaquinta, her dam, has produced two winners from three to race and ranks as a half-sister to six winners. Another half-sister, the unraced La Quinta (Tavistock), is the dam of the good stayer Dionysus (Ocean Park), a dual Group 3 winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) and the Waikato Cup (2400m).
Zig-zag brilliance
The Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) was one of three Saturday stakes traditionally staged at the Hastings track in the Hawkes Bay but which is undergoing refurbishment. One similarity to the Proisir Plate was that the Gold Trail winner was also last into the straight but Lollapalooza achieved her win by diving between runners, zig-zag fashion, in a terrific finishing run.
Last into the straight, Vinnie Colgan switched the filly back to the inner soon after straightening, found a gap at the 300 metres and improved to be sixth at the 200 metres. Continuing her improvement she had three to beat at the 100 metres then launched hard from the 50 metres to overwhelm her opponents.
This was just her fourth start. Lollapalooza was tried twice last season at two and must have impressed her trainers as she lined up in the Sistema Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at her second start for a better-than-it-looked eighth. This time in she arrived at Ellerslie, still a maiden, on top of a solid and close second placing at Taupo last month.
Purchased by her co-trainer Graham Richardson for $30,000, Lollapalooza is well into the black with her earnings of $105,500. On reflection, her purchase price was likely much less than expected as she has some nice bloodlines, beginning with her dam, Carnival (Showcasing), a Group 3 winner of four races including Riccarton’s Stewards’ Stakes (1200m). She joins ten other stakes by Westbury Stud’s El Roca (Fastnet Rock).
Carnival is from a half-sister to Melbourne winner Speedalot (Prized), in turn the dam of Mr Nevermind (Iffraaj), a Listed winner in Malaysia whose 11 wins realised more than Rgt900,000 in earnings. Fourth dam, Labasso (Bassenthwaite), is a half-sister to twice New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) victress Waikiki (Crested Wave). New Zealand Filly of the Year (2020) and New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner, Jennifer Eccles (Rip Van Winkle), can claim Waikiki as her great granddam.
Denting reputations
Although the Sir Colin Meads Trophy (Listed, 1200m) was not won in as scintillating fashion as the other two stakes races, the winner, Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes) dented a few reputations when holding on well after assuming the lead from the 300 metres.
Attracting well-performed runners from last season, namely favourite Hostility (I Am Invincible), He Who Dares (Snitzel) and Landlock (Merchant Navy), Affirmative Action arrived at Ellerslie still a maiden, the Sir Colin Meads just his second start after a third placing at Taupo last month. Only He Who Dares made a race of it, trying hard to run the winner down but Affirmative Action deserved the win after sitting outside the pace until the straight.
The three-year-old gelding has twice been through the ring, firstly in Sydney at the 2023 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale making $40,000. The following January, as part of Wentwood Grange’s draft at the 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2), he fetched $115,000, found by bloodstock agent Paul Moroney who must have been impressed by the his conformation because his family is thin on black-type. Affirmative Action is the first stakes winner in three generations of his immediate family and is the only foal of his dam to race.
Under his fourth dam Fayfa (Slip Anchor) appear Group 2 winners Contessa Vanessa (Bullbars) and Shuffle Dancer (I Am Invincible). Influential sires I am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) and Kodiac (Danehill) are both from Rafha (Kris), a half-sister to Fayfa.
Quite interesting
Both the Gold Trail Stakes and the Sir Colin Meads Trophy were won by maidens, which is significant but that fact carried over to Australia. At Randwick, the Furious Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) went to Apocalyptic (Extreme Choice), having just her second start. She was impressive, driving between runners to become the 15th individual stakes winner for Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) to maintain a fabulous stakes winners to runners ratio of 11.2 per cent.
Topping them all was Rosberg (Deep Field) who landed Moonee Valley’s McKenzie Stakes (Listed, 1200m) on debut with a bounding finish that saw him gobble up the leaders with apparent ease then go on to win decisively.
Also interesting are the results of the ten races on the Ellerslie card, although they might create a frown on the faces of New Zealand breeders because eight of the ten winners were sired in Australia, including two of the three stakes winners, four of the eight were foaled in New Zealand including Quintessa.
Worthy?
Two starts in quality company in Melbourne – including a slashing second in Saturday’s Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) – is the record of New Zealand-trained Alabama Lass (Alabama Express). Has she done enough to warrant a slot in The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) next month?
Slotholders could do a lot worse and except for an exciting barging finish from Baraqiel (Snitzel), Alabama Lass had the measure of the remainder of a strong field, going down by a half-length, the winner running 57.82 secs for the 1000 metres.
Co-trainer Ken Kelso was keen to test the weight-for age waters and was satisfied that she passed the test. This honest filly does not know how to run a bad race. Her ten starts have yielded six wins (four stakes) as well as four second placings, three of which have been achieved at the elite Group 1 level. Two of her wins and a Group 1 second have taken place right-handed (Ellerslie) so the Randwick way of going should not be a concern.
In the meantime, the September 26 Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) is her immediate goal. Should she succeed, there should be a queue of slotholders lining up for a piece of the action.
No surprises
Voting was decisive regarding the annual NZTR Awards, held in Hamilton on Sunday with El Vencedor dominant, claiming the prestigious Horse of the Year title.
Of the two-year-olds, La Dorada (Super Seth) garnered 53 votes, the highest of all the categories, 46 votes ahead of Return To Conquer (Snitzel). Savaglee (Savabeel) topped the three-year-olds with 37 votes, ahead of Filly of The Year Leica Lucy (Derryn) who captured ten votes.
Grail Seeker (Iffraaj) was named Champion Sprinter-Miler with 34 votes ahead of Alabama Lass receiving 12 votes while Champion Stayer Willydoit (Tarzino) scored 41 votes ahead of Wolfgang (Puccini) with six votes.
The remaining title as Champion Middle Distance performer went to El Vencedor, also crowned Champion overall, securing 51 votes courtesy of his three successive Group 1s.