Levante latest star added to the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale

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Buyers on the Gold Coast will be afforded a unique opportunity when New Zealand’s multiple Group 1-winning sprinter–miler Levante (Proisir) goes under the hammer at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale next month. 

The daughter of New Zealand’s Champion Sire elect Proisir (Choisir) has won 12 of her 22 starts, headed four triumphs at Group 1 level which has seen her accrue AU$1,144,511 in prize–money. Levante will be given the chance to enhance that record even further when she lines up in Saturday’s Queen Of The Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick, in what is believed to be her swansong. 

When the mare goes through the ring as part of Julian Blaxland’s Blue Sky Premium Consignment draft as an elite racing and breeding proposition on the opening day of the Queensland sale, her part-owner Philip Brown said it will be a moment of both sadness coupled with joy. 

“It’s been an amazing journey,” Brown said. “We could never had dreamed that she would develop into a multiple Group 1 winner.

“I will be there for sure. It will be an emotional day – it will be one of those happy and sad moments. She was purchased by a group of mates, she’s given us the most amazing thrills and we just felt it was the right time for her to take the next step.” 

Trained throughout her career by Ken and Bev Kelso, Levante kicked off as a three-year-old, breaking her maiden on her first start, before winning her next three starts and capped off her Classic season with a second-place finish in the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m). 

She broke through for her first stakes race success when running out an impressive winner of the Counties Bowl (Listed, 1100m) on her first start as a four-year-old, following up that victory with a third place finish in the Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and landed her first Group race on her next start when defeating a high-class field in the 2021 running of the Westbury Classic (Gr 2, 1400m). 

After successfully defending her Counties Bowl crown, the mare was narrowly denied her first elite-level triumph when finishing second behind Entriviere (Tavistock) in last year’s edition of the Railway Stakes. 

However, she would not have to wait long for her own Group 1 glory, coming out on her next appearance and produced a top-class performance to beat subsequent dual Group 1 winner Roch ‘N’ Horse (Per Incanto) in the Telegraph Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and quickly doubled her elite tally when reversing the form with Entriviere in the Waikato Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m). 

In reward for her high-class performances in her native New Zealand, the mare was sent across the Tasman and was far from disgraced in a high-class edition of the time-honoured Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m), finishing fourth, a little over a two lengths adrift of Roch ‘N’ Horse. The following spring, she finished fourth to that same rival in the VRC Sprint Classic (Gr 1, 1200m). 

After returning to New Zealand, Levante finished a game third behind fellow New Zealand superstar Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in the Railway Stakes, before successfully retaining her crown in the Telegraph Stakes. 

This preparation brought another milestone for the mare, when she showed her diversity and talent with a victory over 1600 metres in the Maori RC WFA Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), flair she engaged once again when finishing fifth in the George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1, 1500m), only three-quarters of a length adrift of multiple Group 1 winner Anamoe (Street Cry). 

Levante was the first Group 1 winner and poster girl for Rich Hill Stud’s talented stallion Proisir, who now has four more elite-level winners to his name. 

Barry Bowditch, managing director of Magic Millions, told ANZ Bloodstock News that her pedigree coupled with her race record made the mare a very valuable and desired prospect not only for breeders in Australasia, but anywhere in the world. 

“She is an outstanding prospect. She is by Proisir who is going from strength to strength and is putting himself up there with those elite sires,” said Bowditch. “She has got a very strong, deep pedigree and her race record speaks for itself. She is a fast mare who has run constantly well at the elite level, both in Australia and in New Zealand.

“She is a four-time Group 1 winner and has been close to the mark in many others and we look forward to cheering her on on Saturday in what is looking likely to be her swansong.”

Levante is out of dual-winning Doyoun (Mill Reef) mare Island Doy, making her a half-sister to stakes-placed mare Doyenne (Kilimanjaro), the dam of last season’s Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Maven Belle (Burgundy). 

Meanwhile, she also counts stakes-placed winner Miss Isle (Bachelor Duke) among her half-siblings and she in turn produced Listed scorer Sophmaze (Derryn). 

“It is a pedigree with a lot of upside and being by Proisir she is pretty well an outcross, with Danehill being a fair way back there,” said Bowditch. “She can pretty much go to any stallion in this part of the world or internationally. We look forward to seeing her race on Saturday and it looks like a race she can be very competitive in.” 

Blaxland said he was looking forward to offering Levante at the Queensland sale next month. 

“I’m delighted to have Levante to offer at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.” he said. “She’s a four time Group1 winner with racing upside.”

“She’s been trained to a tee by Ken and Bev Kelso and she’ll be one of the leading chances in the Queen Of The Turf on Saturday. Her run in the George Ryder was exceptional [behind Anamoe].”

“It will be an honour to be selling this mare for Mr Brown and his partners and I think she’ll be highly sought after. I think she’s the best racing prospect being sold in the southern hemisphere this year.”

Levante joins fellow multiple Group 1-winning New Zealand mare Coventina Bay (Shamexpress) and elite level-winning duo Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) and Snapdancer (Choisir) at the Magic Millions sale, which is due to get underway on June 23.