Fresh is best
A new sprint star has arrived on the New Zealand scene and her name is Grail Seeker (Iffraaj). Saturday’s rich weight-for-age Telegraph Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) proved a cake walk for the four-year-old mare and wherever she lines up over the next few weeks she will be the one they will all have to beat.
Saturday’s field was more than solid despite the late withdrawals of Crocetti (Zacinto) and Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) whose connections may be wondering whether bypassing the $550,000 event due to the track, which provided a winning time of 1:07.71, was such a wise choice. The time suggests that what rain was around hardly affected the track. Also, the famous chute had had only seven other runners over it in race three, so the surface was not mangled.
Second last at the junction, Grail Seeker had four behind her inside the 400 metres, had three to beat near the 200 metres then shot to the lead another 100 metres on. Over the final 100 metres she was full of running and booted clear by two and half lengths and her second successive Group 1.
Last seen four months ago at Hastings for the Tarzino Trophy (Gr 1, 1400m), which she won in a handy time of 1:21.46, she appeared at two trials but was kept as fresh as possible, the plan being to replicate her Hastings success. Co-trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, whose stable is on fire, achieved their goal. The mare was simply brilliant.
Now, the question might be, where to next? The rich Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) is only three weeks away, not the four months gap between her last two exciting wins. Next month, at Te Rapa, is yet another elite-level sprint, the BCD Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m). Her trainers have some decision making on their horizon.
A graduate out of Book 1 at the edition of the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, Grail Seeker was purchased quite late on day three for $130,000 but that figure is looking like great value as her earnings stand at $729,715 from four wins and four placings in 11 starts. Grail Seeker is her dam’s second stakes winner while her grandam was the talented Group 1 winner Stella Cadente (Centaine) whose five wins included the Australia Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Moonee Valley.
Further quality is evident in her deep family. Her third dam, Temple Fire (Bletchingly), is a sister to Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Kenny’s Best Pal (Bletchingly). Temple Fire is also a three-quarter sister to Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Bint Marscay (Marscay) and half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Filante (Star Way).
They are all foals of New Zealand-bred Group 3 winner and dual Oaks–placed Eau d’Etoile (Sir Tristram). Grail Seeker is from the last southern hemisphere crop of the highly successful stallion Iffraaj (Zafonic).
Not one, not two, but three…..
Ellerslie, New Year’s Day, started out like many race days for Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson.
“When I looked at the fields for the day, I thought it would be nice if our stallions could pick up one, maybe two of the features,” he said.
By the day’s end, Rich Hill stallions landed three of the four big stakes. “Too Sweet, by Satono Aladdin, was brilliant in the Eclipse. Real Class, by Vadamos, looks all class, judging from her Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes win. But the result of the Rich Hill Mile, a race we have sponsored now for 18 years, was the cream on the top.”
Thompson was referring to the handy win by Bourbon Empress (Proisir) in the Rich Hill Mile (Gr 2, 1600m). “We have had many runners but this is the first year that a Rich Hill sire got the winner of our own race. It was one of those days you dream about.”
“Going back to the Eclipse, it was especially pleasing to see Satono Aladdin get a result. Due to covid he has no three-year-olds so, although there is a momentum gap he looks like he will overcome that gap,” said Thompson.
Vadamos (Monsun) not only sired Real Class in the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) but he provided the third placegetter, Island Life, as well. Third behind Bourbon Empress in the Rich Hill Mile was another Vadamos in the shape of Uderzo.
The stayers’ feature, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) had Thompson on his feet when Arby (Proisir) hit the front at the 150 metres only to be run down late. Truly, a day to dream about. Maybe four out of four was just a little too much to expect.
Proisir (Choisir) has been on roll lately. In December alone he sired the J Swap Sprint (Gr 3, 1400m) winner Kelly Coe, the Manawatu Cup (Gr 3, 2300m) winner Islington Lass and now, Bourbon Empress. A significant point about the Proisirs is their versatility. He has sired Group 1 sprinters, Group 1 milers, Group 1 2000 metre winners and Oaks placegetters.
Mentioning that point to Thompson brought an interesting response: “There’s no doubt that Proisir is versatile, something we were very familiar with when we stood Pentire. He did all that and sired a Melbourne Cup winner.”
Kiwi Chronicles changed the subject to the upcoming yearling sales and Rich Hill’s draft.
“We are certainly looking forward to Karaka. I am more than satisfied with our draft and I believe many vendors who have supported our stallions will be also. The Proisirs, and he is very well represented this year, are all as a result of a $17,500 service fee.”
“Our draft also includes progeny of mares that we have invested in over the last few years. This is just the first year of that upgrading process so we have much to look forward to over the next few sales. The future looks good,” concluded Thompson.
An honest mare, Bourbon Empress (Priosir) took out the Rich Hill Mile at just her tenth start, having broken her maiden at her third start at three. At four, since September, she has added wins at Matamata and Pukekohe, four placings and announced her readiness for the Group 2 with a close second in the Stella Artois Championship Final (1500m) on Boxing Day.
Bourbon Empress is the 21st individual stakes for Proisir. Her dam, Amiga Mia (Conatus), has had eight to race for five winners, four of which are by Proisir including Pimlico who recorded three wins and a third placing in the Waikato Guineas (Gr 2, 2000m) among eight starts before being exported to Hong Kong. Amiga Mia herself was a bargain purchase at $500 at the NZB 2013 Broodmare Sale. At that time the closest black-type in her family was the Grand Prix Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) winner Saint Minerva (Galileo), a half-brother to Amiga Mia’s grandam.
The next generation features AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Rhythmic Charm (Sackford), out of Brisbane winner Aquitaine (Zamazaan). In the “where do they come from category”, Aquitaine was a daughter of the brilliant Sheralee (Sovereign Edition), the top two-year-old and second top three-year-old of her crop. Among her 12 wins (seven at two) was the Ellerslie Championship Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
Another top family
Good families come back, and, similar to Bourbon Empress, the Eclipse Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner hails from another, even if this branch went on hiatus for a couple of generations.
Another inspired purchase by respected and successful agent Chris Rutten, Too Sweet (Satono Aladdin) was found for $50,000 out of the Phoenix Park draft of NZB’s Book 2 session of the 2024 Karaka Yearling Sale. In landing her second win in three starts the filly made a big impression, having to be used early yet the result was never in doubt for the length of the straight. On debut in late October she succeeded at Trentham and followed that with a second at the same track last month.
Although Too Sweet is the first stakes winner in three generations of this line, it is no surprise that her branch should throw a potential star. Her dam is by Bernadini (A P Indy), her grandam is by Pins (Snippets) and her great-grandam is a Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells) half-sister to champion Darci Brahma (Danehill) and his three-quarter brother Burgundy (Redoute’s Choice).
Also, similar to Bourbon Empress, she is a direct descendant of a Group 1 winner, namely Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Grand Echezeaux (Zabeel), herself a three-quarter sister Romanee Conti (Sir Tristram), the dam of Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) and Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) heroine Ethereal (Rhythm). Too Sweet’s residual value is enormous.
What about me?
Three days on from Ellerslie, at Trentham and the Phar Lap Trophy (Gr 3, 1600m), Rich Hill’s Ace High (High Chaparral) got into the act, siring his third stakes winner, My Lips Are Sealed, making him the fourth Rich Hill stallion to add a new stakes winner to their respective tallies. Thompson’s dream extended to four days.
Formerly the Anniversary Handicap, the Phar Lap Trophy saw My Lips Are Sealed settle midfield and she did not creep into contention until just shy of the home straight. Samantha Spratt looked to go wide then switched towards the inner to make her run before splitting runners at the 300 metres. Maintaining a strong run, the mare had the race under control before the 100m and never looked like being caught, her fourth win from 16 starts.
As a three-year-old My Lips Are Sealed raced against many of the better fillies in her age group. Her nose second when finishing second in the Eulogy Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m), which was run at Trentham, was her previous best effort. This season she has added wins at Matamata and Te Rapa in September then two placings before a fair fifth in the Matamata Cup (Listed, 1600m), her most recent run before this breakthrough at stakes level. As a four-year-old she has proven more consistent.
Similar to those above, My Lips Are Sealed descends from a high class mare but in her case it is necessary to look just two generations back, to her grandam, What Can I Say (Khozaam), a Group winner in Sydney and New Zealand. Her eight wins also included Listed wins on both sides of the Tasman.
What Can I say has been an outstanding producer. From 12 foals, 11 raced and all were winners including two stakes winners. Her best, Only Words (End Sweep), recorded three Group 2 victories, a Group 3 and was twice Group 1–placed. In turn, Only Words has produced the Group 2 winners Chat (Deep Field) and Holy Snow (Fastnet Rock) – it’s one nice family. Speedster Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard), the 10 times winner including four at Group 3 level, is from a half-sister to Only Words.