Prowess (NZ) Stamps Class on NZB Filly of the Year Series

High-class filly Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) made an emphatic statement on her return to the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series on Saturday, romping to a five-length victory in the $140,000 Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa.

The impact of Saturday’s win on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series may not ultimately count for much, only moving her from last on the table (with 1.5 points) to fourth (9.5 points), and with her participation in future legs of the series uncertain. But her performance left no one in any doubt over her quality.

Bought for $230,000 at Karaka 2021 by trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood, Prowess started her career with two impressive victories, then had to settle for placings in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) in October and Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in early November.

It has been a different story since the beginning of the New Year, as Prowess has strung together increasingly impressive wins in the Group Two Auckland Guineas (1600m), against a star-studded field in the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), and up over a middle distance in Saturday’s Fillies’ Classic.

“At the end of the day she has put them away easily today,” Wellwood said. “Now we can make some firm decisions on where we go in the future. The New Zealand Derby (Group One, 2400m) will be the obvious option as long as we believe she is going to see out a mile and a half.

“There are some other great opportunities coming up for fillies and mares over a mile to 2000 metres, both here and over in Australia, so wherever she goes it will be exciting.”

Confidently ridden from a wide gate by jockey Warren Kennedy, Prowess slid forward and initially took the lead before settling in third behind Sakura Girl (NZ) (Iffraaj) and Contagious (NZ) (Proisir).

Kennedy pushed the button at the top of the straight and Prowess charged to the front. Kennedy put the whip away with more than 150 metres remaining, and the star filly kept extending her lead and won with astonishing ease.

“She just keeps getting better and better,” said Kennedy, who has been aboard for all of her last three starts. “She’s something special. She’s done it effortlessly today. She still had gears to come and had more in the tank. It was a fantastic win.”

From seven starts, Prowess has now recorded five wins and two placings, earning $773,740 in stakes.

“I’m still shaking,” part-owner Dean Skipper said during the post-race presentation. “It’s hard to believe that we’ve got a horse as good as this.

“We have to give a huge thanks to Roger, Robert and Sally (Gumbley), who bought this filly for us at Karaka. They went a fair bit over budget to do so, but we’re not too concerned about that now.”

Placegetters Sakura Girl and Contagious both collected their first points of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, earning 4 points and 2 points respectively.

Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) maintains a clear lead with 26 points, with Polygon (NZ) (Highly Recommended) and Best Seller (NZ) (Wrote) sitting in second and third with 14 and 13 points respectively.

The series heads to Hastings for the next leg, the $120,000 Group Two Little Avondale Lowland Stakes (2100m) on March 1.

Vendor	Hallmark Stud
Purchaser	Mr RA James/Mr R Wellwood (Waikato)
Breeding	Proisir – Donna Marie
Sale	Lot 353, Karaka 2021 Book 1, $230,000
Bred by	Hallmark Stud Ltd