Sound familiar?
Following a commanding win by Prowess (Proisir) in Saturday’s Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), co-trainer Roger James commented: “She does things that I haven’t had another horse be able to do.”
If this sounds familiar it’s because a very similar comment was made by Ken Kelso, just three weeks earlier, immediately after Legarto (Proisir) stormed home in the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m): “She does things that other horses can’t do.”
In a whirlwind March, the two daughters of Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir (Choisir) have propelled the stallion to new heights. It’s one thing to knock off a Group 1 in New Zealand but entirely another to raid Australia on their feature days to return home with Group 1 spoils.
Prowess was not yet back in the winners’ enclosure when the writer fired off a text to Rich Hill’s John Thompson, asking: “Does it get any better?”
To Thompson’s credit, he put on his NZTBA president’s cap. It’s hunter green and has the initials MNZGA (Make New Zealand Great Again) in capitals. “Incredible win. So good for New Zealand form and the breeding industry.”
So true. Without exports, our breeding industry would be in a sorry shape and to have a stallion like Proisir firing on all cylinders causes a considerable ripple effect.
Both Legarto and Prowess are back home. Their next season is going to be very exciting as their race records are eerily similar. Each owns a Group 1 in New Zealand, and, now, each owns an Australian Group 1.
Additionally, the pair were both unbeaten in their sole start at two. At three, Legarto has won four of five starts in New Zealand, all in stakes company, while the record of Prowess on home soil at three reads five wins from seven starts, four of them coming in stakes class, with the pair each earning over $1 million in prize-money.
They have clashed twice. Their first meeting was in the Soliloquy Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Te Rapa on October 22. Legarto won well, by three lengths. Second was Romancing The Moon (El Roca), subsequent winner of the Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m). Prowess finished third.
Both fillies headed south to Riccarton on a Guineas mission but, in a vote of confidence from her trainers, Prowess lined up against the boys in the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and gave it a pretty good shake when beaten a half head and a neck when third behind Pier (Proisir).
The New Zealand One Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) was a cake-walk for Legarto who overwhelmed her rivals by nearly five lengths.
Their only other clash was highly anticipated, many viewing the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m) as the race of the season. Legarto was favoured but didn’t see daylight until the race was practically over. How she finished fourth is a wonder, but as Kelso stated after she performed a miracle in the Australian Guineas, she does things that others can’t do.
Prowess avoided the traffic problems but still had to be good to hold off late challenges and won convincingly.
Their trainers are in awe of their talent, hence James’s and Kelso’s very similar views and comments.
In particular, James compared Prowess with several of his former outstanding charges. In 40 years he has experienced many highlights. “I have travelled a lot of horses to Australia and not many settle in like she did and it’s her first trip away so she’s only going to get better. She is a star in the making,” said James, who continued: “I’ve had Zonda, who was always the benchmark, Silent Achiever, I’ve had some lovely horses over the years. I’ve won this race with Sixty Seconds, but this filly does special things.”
Chad Schofield, aboard Saturday’s runner up Pavitra (American Pharoah), paid Prowess a great compliment: “Full credit to the winner. We got beaten by an absolute weapon.”
What about the blood of the two stars?
Blood-wise, Donna Marie (Don Eduardo) and Geordie Girl (Towkay) do not have all that much in common. Northern Dancer (Nearctic) appears in both grids as does Klairon (Clarion). We have to go back another generation in Donna Marie’s grid to find Nasrullah (Nearco) as the sire of Grey Sovereign to find any further similarities. Nasrullah is doubled up in Geordie Girl’s grid.
Donna Marie resides at Hallmark Stud and it is not difficult to understand what the attraction was in her purchase for $20,000 at the 2014 Karaka May Sale.
Mark Baker’s dad, Denny, broke in Don Eduardo’s dam Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones). That’s not all. Denny learned his trade under John Malcolm of Kinross Stud, which is now Hallmark Stud. Donna Marie’s damsire Kingdom Bay (Otehi Bay) is from Golden Praise, she is by Golden Plume (Golden Cloud) from a Summertime (Precipitation) mare. Both Summertime (a highly respected and multiple champion sire) and Golden Plume stood at Kinross.
The New Zealand Racing Desk spoke with Hallmark Stud’s Mark Baker about Prowess.
“Prowess was a beautiful foal and she went the right way and continued to grow and develop as you would hope,” he said. “To be fair, she was probably a Book 2 page at the time. Proisir hadn’t quite hit his straps, but New Zealand Bloodstock could see what was there physically and put her in Book 1 where she deserved to be on her physical makeup, and she made money accordingly.”
The dams of Proisir’s other Group 1 winners are equally varied which may mean that Proisir combines with anything equally well.
Although two years younger than Proisir, full brother, Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner, Divine Prophet (Choisir), has not made the same impression. Maybe Aquis Farm need to send him to New Zealand?
Rosehill appetiser
Proisir’s Tapildoodledo upset the favourites in the Tulloch Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m), a couple of hours prior to Prowess’s super effort.
Tapildoodledo’s win was merely the appetiser and brought Proisir’s total individual stakes winners to 12, of which five are elite winners. Proisir’s current season stats look more than appetising with seven winners of 14 stakes here in New Zealand while in Australia he has three and three, the earnings from Saturday taking him into the top 50 there.
The winner of one race, at Eagle Farm last November, Tapildoodledo went wide into the Rosehill straight then put in a solid stayer’s run to share the lead at the 100 metres then kept driving to the line for a narrow yet tough win.
“It was amazing. To come all the way from the Sunshine Coast and to win it, is incredible. I think we might be in the Derby now,” said owner, Ian Taplin.
All the way might be an understatement. In 2022 the Taplins sold their dairy farm in Isla Bank, about 40 kilometres north-west of Invercargill in Southland, opting for the tropical climes of Queensland.
Tapildoodledo is one of two winners from Mrs Tappy (One Cool Cat), the daughter of New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner, Tapildo (Rhythm), prompting Taplin to comment about the three-year-old’s ATC Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) prospects. “I am confident he will get 2400 metres. The grandmother is Tapildo, who won an Oaks and would have gone further if given a chance.”
His family has some speed too. Tapildo’s half-sister, Plagiarize (Stravinsky), won the Silver Slipper Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) at two while another half-sister, Haiku (Encosta De Lago) is the dam of the speedy and classy Coolmore Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Japonisme (Choisir).
His third dam, Concert Time (Artaius), is a half-sister to Lancashire Oaks (Gr 3, 1m 4f) winner Sing Softly (Luthier).
Wait, there’s more
Proisir’s original flag bearer, Levante, is in Sydney, attempting to match Legarto and Prowess with an Australian Group 1. Last year she twice placed fourth in Flemington Group 1 sprints and in her most recent start ran a cracking fifth behind Anamoe (Street Boss) in the George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1, 1500m).
Whereas Legarto and Prowess made single-race raids, Levante’s next target is the Queen of the Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), set for April 8 on the second day of The Championships.
A four-time Group 1 winner at home, it would be fitting for her to reach that goal and it would be no surprise to learn that this is her last racing season, especially as she has nothing left to prove in New Zealand.
Our broodmare ranks could do with the boost. We lost Melody Belle (Commands) and Avantage (Fastnet Rock) to huge offers. The chances are that money will talk again in the case of Levante but we can but hope.
Never having been in a position of having to choose to sell or breed, the decision must be quite a challenge. From the New Zealand Stud Book’s perspective, we will keep our fingers crossed but life-changing, up front riches must be very tempting.
The same situation will take place a few years down the track when Legarto and Prowess are retired. In the meantime, it is going to be fun watching them race. When they race against each other, it should bring punters to the racetrack in droves.
Job done
Another New Zealand raider, Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), achieved what she set out to accomplish and is back home munching on our first class New Zealand grass. Against a hot field she was too good in Friday night’s William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Moonee Valley and has done more than enough to warrant a break.
In a two-race campaign she looked a huge chance in the Canterbury Stakes (Gr 1, 1300m) only to be swamped on the line by Artorious (Flying Artie). In Friday’s feature Opie Bosson positioned her perfectly rounding into the straight, surged into the lead at the 150 metres and was never going to be headed to the line, proving her Sydney form.
We should not be surprised to learn that she has nailed down a slot in $15 million The Everest (1200m), next spring.
Further to Thompson’s comment about New Zealand form holding up, we need look no further than the two Proisir fillies, plus Imperatriz, who have set themselves apart in New Zealand, with Levante still in the wings.
Who is Verdi?
The unheralded stallion Verdi (Zabeel) has sired a mere 15 named foals. Eleven have made it to the races and two are winners but Goldman, the all-the-way winner of the Roy Higgins Handicap (Listed, 2600m), looks to give the stallion a lift in profile.
Proving that good horses can emerge from anywhere, Goldman booked a spot in this November’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) and judging from the way he ran out the 2600 metres, is well worthy of his opportunity.
He went to the front from the jump, had a clear lead starting the back straight, before taking a breather. He cruised past the 1000 metres and rounding into the straight had yet to be pressured. Near the 400 metres he kicked clear, increased his lead at the 200 metres, and was full of running to win by nearly three lengths.
His record stands at seven starts for five wins, his last four in succession. The now four year-old started his race career from Tony Pike’s stable with a win on the Cambridge synthetic track last May. Two starts later he placed third before a nice win at Pukekohe over 1600 metres.
Phill Cataldo, who seems to be involved in almost every sale of tried runners to Australia took note, and the gelding found his way to the stable of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in Sydney.
In February he led all the way (his new-found pattern) over 2000 metres at Kembla Grange, then stepped up to 2400 metres at Warwick Farm to again lead throughout. Both wins were by more than five lengths and adopting identical tactics on Saturday, suddenly, he is in the Melbourne Cup.
“He’s got raw talent and it will improve when he has a little break and comes back in the spring,” said Waterhouse. “He’s so unfurnished, but there is so much to work with. It’s so exciting”.
And who is Verdi? The son of Zabeel (Sir Tristram) raced eight times out of the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable, recording three wins before an injury forced him into retirement. Two of his wins were at Te Rapa and Ruakaka and he is now domiciled at Long Acres Stud in Darfield, 50 kilometres west of Christchurch, Canterbury where he stands at a fee of $3000 (2022). He began stud duties in 2017 and Goldman represents his first crop.
Verdi’s half-brothers are six-time Group 1 winner Sir Slick (Volksraad) and New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Puccini (Encosta De Lago).
Goldman’s female family doesn’t hold a candle to his sire’s. He is one of three winners from a half-sister to Listed winner Gator (Quest For Fame). His great grandam, Miss Muncher (Kings Island), was a good winner, scoring four of her five wins in Melbourne and was twice Listed placed. His fourth dam was a half-sister to the very good two-year-old and Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner, Street Cafe (Lunchtime), who was also second behind champion Red Anchor (Sea Anchor) in the 1984 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2050m).