‘No one got to see the best of her’
Kiwi mare Prowess sold to Australia-based interests for NZ$1.452 million
Cambridge Stud’s Brendan and Jo Lindsay pushed hard to keep trans-Tasman dual Group 1-winning mare Prowess (Proisir) in New Zealand hands, but in the end they could not match the seven-figure firepower of a major international investor on Thursday.
In the end, the former Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained Prowess was sold for NZ$1,452,500 to a Victoria-based farm under the pseudonym “Downtown” at the conclusion of New Zealand Bloodstock’s week-long Gavelhouse Plus online auction of the star daughter of champion sire Proisir (Choisir).
With bidding stalled at NZ$750,000 from Tuesday until early on Thursday, there were two bids placed up to $825,000 in the hours leading up to the online sale’s final countdown at 7pm local time.
It was then that Cambridge Stud entered the fray when the $1 million reserve for New Zealand’s champion middle distance horse of 2022-23 was met.
From there, the eventual successful buyer “Downtown”, who has also bought numerous high-profile seven-figure mares in Australia, New Zealand and in Europe over the past five years, went toe-to-toe with Cambridge Stud as they bid back and forth for more than 15 minutes.
At times, the prized mare’s price was going up in increments as small as $2,500 until the Lindsays’ $1.45 million bid was made, only to be outbid by the thoroughbred tycoon known as “Downtown” with one final click of the mouse.
Prowess’ co-owner Dean Skipper, who bought the mare with James and Wellwood for NZ$230,000 from her breeder Hallmark Stud at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, admitted to being left with a slight bittersweet feeling on Thursday night after the sale of their Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (Gr 1, 2050m) and Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner.
“We’re tinged with sadness, to be honest, not about the price, just because I am not a breeder, we race them, but no one got to see the best of her,” Skipper told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“We’ve had lots of good times and lots of good memories with family and friends and this is sort of the end of the road for that.
“You can watch their babies, but I don’t want to watch them, I want to race them. But, look, this is a bonus. We buy them to race them and she did amazing things, so we’re just fortunate that we’re able to sell her.
“She moves onto the next stage of her career, which I am sure she’ll be successful at [as a broodmare].”
Twelve months ago, Prowess was considered a leading Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) contender until an injury forced James and Wellwood to back off the mare due to surgery to remove an abscess which was applying pressure to a blood vessel.
But the Cambridge-based trainers were still able to get her to Moonee Valley on the club’s biggest race day where she was able to win the Crystal Mile (Gr 2, 1600m), on what proved to be her second–last start and last of her eight career victories from 12 starts. She banked more than NZ$1.5 million in prize-money for her connections.
Her four-year-old season was hindered by another post-spring setback when she developed white line disease, prompting the owners to make the call to sell her.
“There were a few niggles all the way through, just various things. It’s a fickle game and they’re highly strung animals so anything can go wrong at any time, so we’re just lucky to experience [what we did],” Skipper said.
“You’re never buying them thinking you’re going to win one [Group 1], but you’re dreaming that you might have a horse good enough to race in them, but to actually win a couple of Group 1s, lots of Group 2s and the Karaka Million, that’s the absolute dream.
“If I was a multimillionaire, I wouldn’t have sold her and given her another six months [in the paddock]. Her improvement has been incredible.”
While her biggest racecourse exploits were at three, Prowess also made an auspicious start to her career at two, winning by nine lengths at her only seasonal appearance when stepping out at Wanganui, a victory that set her on a path to Group 1 glory.
Gavelhouse.com general manager Haylie Martin said: “It was an honour to be able to sell her for Dean and Janie Skipper.
“She was a $230,000 buy at Karaka through Roger James and Robert Wellwood and they’ve had a wonderful adventure racing her.
“With her racing and sale proceeds they’ve now usurped $3,000,000. so it’s a great result.
“As always we are grateful to the purchaser and also Cambridge Stud who got the mare on the market at the million mark and were strong throughout.”
Bred by the Baker family at Hallmark Stud in New Zealand, Prowess is the best-performed of four winning foals out of Donna Marie (Don Eduardo). In a boost to her pedigree, Prowess’ sister topped this year’s Karaka sale at NZ$1.6 million. She was bought by Victorian-based trainer Peter Moody on behalf of Fairway Thoroughbreds’ John Camilleri who has since named her Seychelles.
The two-year-old filly is currently at Moody and his training partner Katherine Coleman’s Pakenham stables undergoing her early education.
Gavelhouse was used in the past by Te Akau to sell champion mare Avantage (Fastnet Rock), who sold for NZ$4.1 million to Coolmore in September 2021. Her first foal, a filly by Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), was purchased by Te Akau’s David Ellis for $2.1 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January.