Cover image courtesy of Rich Hill Stud
Capping a remarkable season for the son of Choisir, Proisir’s achievement comes towards the end of a season in which he sired a remarkable five individual Group 1 winners of eight Group 1 races.
The achievement was a poignant one for Thompson, as the very horse to bring Proisir’s earnings past the previously unbroken barrier was co-bred by his mother, Irene Thompson, who passed away earlier this year.
Prioress (NZ), a 4-year-old mare, won a handicap at Awapuni on Saturday, her fourth career success.
“She would have got a great thrill out of it,” Thompson told TDN AusNZ. “I’m sure Mum will be looking down from above, she’ll be pleased.”
A remarkable achievement
Achieving anything as a seasoned stallion in New Zealand is, according to Thompson, made all the more special because it means making a dent in the record of Waikato Stud’s eight-time Champion New Zealand Sire, Savabeel.
Savabeel set the previous earnings record in the 2018/19 season at NZ$3,951,419, and at the beginning of the season even the most hopeful studmaster couldn't have imagined he'd be knocked off his perch.
Although Proisir has been Savabeel’s likely successor for the Champion Sire title for some time now, his latest achievement is the ‘icing on the cake’ for Thompson.
Proisir | Standing at Rich Hill Stud
Star performers such as Levante (NZ), winner of the G1 Telegraph and the G1 Otaki Maori WFA Classic, Dark Destroyer (NZ), winner of the G1 Tarzino Trophy, and G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Pier (NZ), have all kept the Proisir ball rolling at the elite level this season.
“The season’s just built momentum all the way through,” he said. “Then, suddenly, a few weeks ago I realised he was close to Savabeel’s record mark.
“Then I thought, if things go his way, he could crack the NZ$4 million barrier by the end of the season, which had never been done before in New Zealand with our prizemoney levels.
“There’s still over a month of the season left and he’s done it quite easy.”
“The season’s just built momentum all the way through. There’s still over a month of the season left and he’s done it (broken the NZ$4 million prizemoney record) quite easy.” - John Thompson
“Interestingly enough, many years ago Pentire sired the Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance and a few weeks later the New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Xtravagant. Everyone just assumed he’d win the Dewar Award, he was that far ahead, but Savabeel just pipped him on the post.”
Hence, Thompson knows as well as anyone just how solid Savabeel has been at the head of New Zealand’s sire ranks in recent years, and was so surprised to have to restrict his book to 150 mares, with his 2023 fee set at NZ$70,000 (plus GST).
“This level of demand is understandable,” he said. “He will end this season as Australasia’s leading sire of Group 1 winners having sired five Group 1 winners of eight Group 1 races.”
John Thompson | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
The Australian connection
Leading the charge for the 13-year-old Proisir this season has been his 3-year-old daughter Prowess (NZ). On pure economics, she has been his biggest earner, accruing NZ$940,000 in New Zealand this season.
A winner of the 2023 G1 Bonecrusher New Zealand S., the G2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic, the G2 Auckland Guineas and the R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic, it was her seasonal finale in crossing the Tasman which marked her out to Thompson.
Prowess (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kirstin Ledington
In winning the G1 Vinery Stud S. in Australia, she doubled Proisir’s Australian Group 1 tally following Legarto’s (NZ) victory in the G1 Australian Guineas - the first New Zealand-trained winner of the race ever.
“I suppose those two fillies, Legarto and Prowess, to do what they did in New Zealand and then go over and confirm how good they were by winning Group 1s in Australia really probably is the highlight,” Thompson said.
“To tell you the truth, that has been a big achievement for the stallion. When I went over the Sydney sales, I’m not saying it was Proisir-mania, but the Australian breeders suddenly realised what a good stallion he was.
“I suppose those two fillies, Legarto and Prowess, to do what they did in New Zealand and then go over and confirm how good they were by winning Group 1s in Australia really probably is the highlight.” - John Thompson
“Some of their leading breeders, Godolphin, Newhaven… people that are traditionally very strong Australian breeders, were saying to me that in their opinions he was one of the up-and-coming young stallions in Australasia - that is a real compliment, isn’t it?”
