Campionessa (NZ) All Class in Zabeel Classic

Twice a Group One bridesmaid during her breakthrough summer last season, Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer) had her turn in the spotlight in the $450,000 Group One Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2050m) at Pukekohe on Boxing Day.

Campionessa was passed in with a $70,000 reserve during Book 1 of Karaka 2019. Later acquired by David Ellis, Te Akau Racing’s top-class mare has now had 27 starts for 10 wins, eight placings and $936,590 in prize-money – more than 13 times her reserve at Karaka.

Campionessa stepped up into stakes class around this time last year with her first two black-type successes, the Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2500m) and the Group Two Rich Hill Mile (1600m). She then took on some of New Zealand’s very best, finishing second behind Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood) in the Group One Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and second behind Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) in the Group One Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m).

The six-year-old hinted that she was in some of the finest form of her career leading into the Zabeel Classic, having recorded back-to-back Group Two wins in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m). A victory at Group One level was the only thing missing from her CV, and she headed to Pukekohe on Boxing Day and claimed that final piece.

Beautifully ridden by star jockey Opie Bosson, Campionessa trailed the front-running Kelly Coe (NZ) (Proisir) before weaving through a narrow opening in the straight and making her claim for Zabeel Classic glory.

Sydney Group One winner No Compromise (NZ) (Pins) stormed home in what looked like a winning move wider out on the track, but Campionessa found another gear and turned him back by a neck in a pulsating finish, with two and a quarter lengths back to the third placegetter.

“I tried to come out into the better ground in the straight and the horse in front (Kelly Coe) rolled out in front of me as well and we just had to push our way through,” Bosson said. “It was a good effort. She is tough. She picked herself up and fought off the other challenger. She deserved that Group One.

“She’s got a lot of confidence back after that win two starts back and it showed last start. She is just on the way up, she is full of confidence and she is booming.”

Campionessa is trained by premiership leaders Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson for the Te Akau Campionessa Syndicate.

“Things didn’t go right for her in the early part of the spring, and we gave her a break and she has come back in such great form,” Walker said. “When mares get in form, they tend to hold it.

“She deserved that. She has had a couple of seconds in Group Ones. She dug deep to win, which was great. It was great for the ownership group as well. Not one of them moaned when we pulled stumps in the spring when things weren’t going right. They supported us and got the rewards today. It was brilliant for the mare and Contributer is a very underrated stallion.

“We will let the dust settle after this, but she is nominated for all of those big races through the summer again. Now she has got a Group One on her CV, we probably need to look at something in Australia as well.”

Bred and sold by Mapperley Stud’s Simms Davison, Campionessa is one of five winners from six foals to race out of the three-race-winning mare Bella Carolina (NZ) (O’Reilly). Remarkably, three of Bella Carolina’s progeny have been stakes winners. Campionessa is the headline act with her three stakes wins, while Tennessee (NZ) (Per Incanto) and Leedox (NZ) (Time Test) both won Listed races.

Campionessa was part of a bumper Boxing Day for Contributer, who also had a Group Three Summer Cup (2000m) victory at Randwick with Lion’s Roar (NZ). Contributer has 16 yearlings catalogued for Book 1 of Karaka 2024, along with 17 in Book 2.

Zabeel Classic runner-up No Compromise was a $40,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2018. He has had 43 starts for seven wins, 15 placings and more than $1.24m in prize-money.

Vendor	Mapperley Stud Ltd
Purchaser
Breeding	Contributer – Bella Carolina
Sale	Lot 590, Karaka 2019 Book 1, Psd (Res $70,000)
Bred by	Simms Davison