Great week for Waikato’s Rich Hill
‘‘It’s an amazing thrill to win a race in Tokyo where the racing is so strong, it’s like winning a group race here.’’
It’s been a good week for John and Colleen Thompson at Rich Hill Stud in the Waikato.
Saturday was a great day for Rich Hill stallions Shocking and Pentire with major wins by their progeny in Australia while Jimmy Choux had a winner in Japan on Sunday.
During the week the stud’s new boy Proisir hit the headlines with his his first crop weanlings catching the attention of good judges at the Karaka Weanling Sale.
‘‘It’s a funny industry,’’ John Thompson said. ‘‘Things aren’t going well and you can get down in the mouth but just as quickly they can turnaround and everything is great.’’
Pentire recorded his 16th individual Group I winner with the Darren Weir-trained Volatile Mix taking out the $625,000 South Australian Derby at Morphettville.
Weir is now considering targeting a Derby-double, with the Queensland Derby a possibility next for the pride of ownerbreeders Graham and Linda Huddy.
The Derby winner’s dam Utopia was bought for $170,000 by Bruce Perry Bloodstock at the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale and went on to win two races, and she picked up black-type with a second placing in the Group III Manawatu Classic.
It was the third South Australian Derby winner for Pentire after Pantani (2002) and Zarita (2008).
Shocking Luck scored impressively by 2.75 lengths for the Autridge-Richardson training combination in Saturday’s Group III Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben. He now look an outstanding chance of taking out next month’s Queensland Derby.
Shocking Luck’s breeders are long-time Rich Hill supporters Terry Archer and Grant Currie.
Shocking Luck is Hong Kongbound after being purchased recently to race there after his Queensland campaign under the care of Matamata trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards.
In Japan, Jimmy Choux colt Cosmo Peridot a $200,000 Karaka yearling purchase by Big Red Farm, won his maiden over 1400m in Tokyo.
‘‘It’s an amazing thrill to win a race in Tokyo where the racing is so strong, it’s like winning a group race here,’’ Thompson said.
Meantime the first crop of Proisir made an impact at Karaka.
They sold up to $65,000 during the opening session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Weanling Sale.
‘‘They were making yearling sale prices, there was a lot of positive talk about the horse,’’ Thompson said.
The top lot was purchased by Tony Falcone, who shared in the ownership of Proisir and his recently-retired brother Divine Prophet.
‘‘It’s very exciting to see the way Proisir has been accepted at the sales,’’ he said.
To be trained in Sydney by Team Hawkes, the youngster is out of the stakes performed Nancho Bella.
Michael Wallace’s Waterford Bloodstock paid $55,000 to secure the first foal of Lady Grace and another significant sale was the $38,000 paid by Paul Willetts for the Arthena weanling.