Bourbon Empress (NZ) Caps Breakthrough Campaign in Rich Hill

Three months and six races after kicking off the season in Rating 65 company, Bourbon Empress (NZ) (Proisir) became a Group Two winner in the $270,000 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

Trainer Stephen Marsh paid $80,000 to buy the daughter of Proisir from the Book 1 draft of breeders Highline Thoroughbreds at Karaka 2022. Bourbon Empress has now had 10 starts for four wins, four placings and $282,585 – three and a half times her purchase price.

Bourbon Empress showed promise in a brief three-year-old campaign last season, collecting a win and a placing from three raceday appearances. She resumed in Rating 65 grade in the early spring, finishing third at Te Rapa before winning at Matamata.

After a second and an unlucky seventh in her next two starts, Bourbon Empress resumed her rapid rise with a win on Counties Cup Day at Pukekohe and a second against a strong field in the $110,000 Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. That all set her up for a first shot at black-type level in the Rich Hill on New Year’s Day, and Bourbon Empress was more than up to the task.

Bourbon Empress was awkwardly drawn in gate 12 among a 13-horse field, but rider Matt Cartwright was in no hurry with the talented mare and settled in the back half of the field, three wide but with cover behind the eventual runner-up Jaarffi (NZ) (Iffraaj).

Cartwright pushed the button in the straight and Bourbon Empress came with big strides down the outside of the track, hitting the front with 250 metres remaining.

Jaarffi went with her and made her work through the closing stages of the race, but Bourbon Empress had more up her sleeve and completed a comfortable victory by three-quarters of a length. Jaarffi finished another two lengths in front of the third placegetter.

“That was ultra satisfying,” said Marsh, who trains the four-year-old for a syndicate that includes his father Bruce along with major stable client Bourbon Lane Stable.

“We were worried about her wide draw, but she was able to get cover. When she came out, you could see she was going to finish it off.

“The Stella Artois has been a great lead-up race towards bigger things for us in the past, and she has run really well today and will keep improving.

“She loves it here at Ellerslie. There is a nice race for her here on Karaka Millions night, so she can have a wee breather now and then come back for that.”

That potential target is the $1m Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic 4YO (1600m), for which the TAB now rates her a second favourite behind fellow Karaka 2022 graduate Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel).

Cartwright also took special satisfaction from the Rich Hill win, having ridden Bourbon Empress four times this season for three wins and a second.

“I’ve been riding this horse most of her prep and she is a mare that just wants to please you,” he said. “She was down in the weights and got a good run and she showed what she has got.

“She has threatened to be up to this sort of class if everything went her way and it did today. She is still green, so there is room there for improvement in the future.”

Bourbon Empress became the 21st individual stakes winner for gun sire Proisir, who headlines the stallion roster at race sponsor Rich Hill Stud. Proisir is set to play a large role at Karaka 2025 later this month, with 53 of his progeny catalogued for Book 1 and 10 in Book 2.

Vendor	Highline Thoroughbreds
Purchaser	Stephen Marsh Racing (Waikato)
Breeding	Proisir – Amiga Mia
Sale	Lot 82, Karaka 2022 Book 1, $80,000
Bred by	C & E J Heron