Globe-trotting mare Con Te Partiro could have ended her racing career as nothing more than a Group 3 winner. Instead, a failure to get in foal in the spring has paved the way to stardom during the Sydney autumn carnival.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the 6-year-old stepped up to the highest level and won the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill last month.
She was a close sixth in the Doncaster a week ago, and on Saturday she completed a superb Group 1 double with another power-packed performance in the Coolmore Legacy S.
The well-travelled mare’s remarkable career could have ended very differently. Con Te Partiro was bred in the United States and began her career in the stable of Wesley Ward, for whom she won the Listed Bolton Landing S. at Saratoga and Listed Sandringham H. at Royal Ascot. She also placed at Grade 3 level and finished fourth in the G1 Del Mar Oaks.
Con Te Partiro (USA) wins the G1 Coolmore Legacy S. | Image courtesy of Dan Himbrechts for AAP Photos
She was bought by Newgate Farm and SF Bloodstock for US$575,000 (AU$905,740) at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, and her new owners sent her down under and into the stable of Waterhouse and Bott. She made her Australian debut in the G3 Dark Jewel Classic at Scone last May, scoring a valuable victory that could have been the pinnacle of her career.
Con Te Partiro later finished sixth in the G2 Dane Ripper S. in Brisbane and was unplaced in three starts in Sydney in the early spring, and her connections started thinking about her life after racing. She was served by Zoustar in October.
But she failed to get in foal and returned to the stable of Waterhouse and Bott, and the rest is history.
Adrian Bott | Image by Simon Bullard courtesy of AAP Photos
“It’s worked out well that we’ve now been able to have a proper campaign off a good break, and being able to achieve those two Group 1 wins,” Bott said.
“She’s just been a great frame of mind since she came back this time in, she’s been much better to deal with this campaign, she just needed that time to acclimatise.
“We saw today she just wanted to be there, she’s a happy mare, she’s putting herself right in the race, she travelled beautifully.
“We saw today she just wanted to be there, she’s a happy mare, she’s putting herself right in the race, she travelled beautifully." - Adrian Bott
“I’m just glad we were able to reward her and the owners, who have been able to give us a chance with her and she’s obviously a very valuable mare for them.
“She was always bought as a breeding prospect first and foremost, so anything she was going to be able to do on the track was a bonus. So we tried to do what we could in the limited time we had with her.”
Tim Clark | Image by Dan Himbrechts courtesy of AAP Photos
Ridden by Tim Clark, Con Te Partiro capitalised on a perfect run close to the speed and burst to the front in the straight.
Quality 3-year-old filly Funstar (Adelaide {Ire}) chased her hard through the last 200 metres, but Con Te Partiro kept going strongly to beat her by 1.75l. The rest of the field finished more than 3l away.
“It was always the plan to come here off the back of the Doncaster,” Bott said. “She had a nice week and it’s been executed well.
“A big thanks has to go out to Alana Pearson, her regular strapper. Unfortunately she had a fall and injury this week, so she wasn’t able to be here today to strap her. She puts so much time and effort into this mare all the way through her campaign, so I’m sure it would have been a special win for her today.”
Con Te Partiro has now won six of her 24 starts and more than $1.2 million in stakes. With two Group 1 victories to her name, a second attempt at a broodmare career now looms on the horizon.
“I imagine she’ll need that time to let down to become a broodmare this season,” Bott said. “So whether that’s her last run or not, we’ll see. But if it is, at least she’s gone out in style.”
The win added to a dream Sydney autumn carnival for Waterhouse and Bott, who also scored Group 1 victories with Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) in the Golden Slipper and Shout The Bar (Not A Single Doubt) in the Vinery Stud S.
It has also been an outstanding run for Clark, who was aboard Con Te Partiro for both Group 1 victories and celebrated further elite success with I Am Excited (Snitzel) in The Galaxy.
Tim Clark and Con Te Partiro (USA) return to scale | Image courtesy of Dan Himbrechts for AAP Photos
“Obviously it’s been a bit of a breakout carnival for me with three Group 1 wins, and it’s been my best season so far,” Clark said.
“Con Te Partiro has been a tricky mare, but everyone on the team has done a good job. It’s a good team to be a part of and the horses are running really well. Everyone deserves plenty of credit.
“It’s probably taken a bit of time to work this mare out, but they seem to have found the key to her now. She’s had a great preparation. She ran well last week, but coming here on the back-up wouldn't hurt her and she is always the strongest horse late. I knew she would run into it strongly. Really pleased with her.
“I’m sure Gai and Adrian will be pleading with the owners to give her another prep, but at the end of the day, she has done her job if she does happen to go to the breeding barn.”
