By Bren O'Brien
The racetrack career of dual Group 1 winner Con Te Partiro (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) has come to an end, with the mare to be sold at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale without having another run.
A small setback at trackwork saw her connections, headed by Newgate Managing Director Henry Field, opt not to give her a farewell run in Australia and also skip the Breeders' Cup meeting.
"She did a piece of work there and came out of the piece of work just feeling her knee. So we just erred on the side of caution. She has done her job. She has won two Group 1s, so we just thought there is no point taking a risk. She's been good to us and we should be good to her," Field told TDN AusNZ.
"She has done her job. She has won two Group 1s, so we just thought there is no point taking a risk. She's been good to us and we should be good to her." - Henry Field
The imported mare, who was purchased by SF Bloodstock and Newgate Farm for US$575,000 (AU$785,000) at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, became an unlikely hero of the 2020 autumn, having been brought out of retirement after missing to Zoustar last spring.
She won both the G1 Coolmore Classic and the G1 Coolmore Legacy for her trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, becoming the flagbearer for the black and red Newgate colours.
Prior to her first retirement, she has been a stakes winner in three countries having won the Listed Bolton Landing S. at Saratoga and the Listed Sandringham H. at Royal Ascot for her previous trainer Wesley Ward, before travelling to Australia where she won the G3 Dark Jewel Classic for her new ownership.
"It was great what she has been able to do. She's been a great mare and I think it's really credit to Adrian Bott," Field said.
"He was very bullish that if we put her back into training, she could go to the next level and his judgement was to prove correct.
"It was great for Adrian. She has been an important horse in his career and we have had a great ride with her. I'm sure wherever she ends up, she will be a very special commodity."
"It was great for Adrian. She has been an important horse in his career and we have had a great ride with her." - Henry Field
Field said the original travel plans to the United States would progress and said that he and SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan and Gavin Murphy felt Keeneland was the right place to sell such an internationally performed mare.
"She was booked to fly out in mid-October to Kentucky and she will still be on that flight. She will now ship to the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale," he said.
"She looks like being the standout mare in that catalogue. She's got a huge pedigree and it is a rare achievement to do what she has done on three continents."
Con Te Partiro (USA)
Bred by KC Garrett Farm, Con Te Partiro is out of Grade 1-placed mare Temple Street (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}), who has also produced the Listed winner Donworth (USA) (Tiznow {USA}).
Among her extended family are North American Grade 1 winners A Phenomenon (USA) (Tentam {USA}), Seattle Meteor (USA) (Seattle Slew {USA}), Pleasant Stage (USA) (Pleasant Colony {USA}), Marsh Side (USA) (Gone West {USA}), Nadal (USA) (Blame {USA}) and Changeintheweather (USA) (Gone West {USA}).
"We just felt with her pedigree, coming from a massively deep North American family, and being by Scat Daddy, who has been an extraordinary stallion, she is well-suited to a Northern Hemisphere broodmare band so it makes sense to sell her over there," Field said.
"The transport cost of a mare like her is negligible compared to her overall value. We thought that was a smart manoeuvre with that massive international pedigree and she has as extraordinary international CV.
"Keeneland were really eager to have her and we thought it made sense to offer her there."
Con Te Partiro retires having won six of her 25 starts and $1.24 million in prizemoney.
