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03-07-2007 04:19 PM |
Prized  HOME » Lead Story » Blood Will Out
Blood Will Out Submited On:3/7/2007Posted On:3/8/2007 Author:John Hutchinson
Like the McNaught Comet, the rare sighting of a Breeders’ Cup winning sire and a triple US Grade One winning mare combining to produce a Group One winner Down Under passed us by yesterday when the outsider Prize Lady took out the 3200m Auckland Cup across the Tasman.
As her name may suggest, Prize Lady is a daughter of the Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Prized, a stallion of much underrated merit, and the imported Mummy’s Game mare, Pen Bal Lady, winner of 8 races up to 10 furlongs including the Gamely Handicap, the Santa Ana Handicap and the Santa Barbara Handicap at the elite level.
Alas ! Prize Lady was all of a $13,500 yearling to boot !!!!
The five year old mare went into the Auckland Cup with a record of just two wins from 16 starts, but one of those victories had come three starts ago when winning a minor event over 1550m at Rotorua when on the comeback trail. Prize Lady’s lead-up to yesterday’s grand final had resulted in a solid 1-1/4 length third to Luckshan in the Auckland Cup Trial on February 17, form which proved strong with Luckshan second this time around, ahead of the fast finishing favourite Pentane, the 2006 Auckland Cup winner.
For the record, we saw Prize Lady race in Australia in 2005 when finishing a creditable fourth to Vitesse Dane in the Queensland Oaks-Gr 1 before a slightly better than midfield finish in the Queensland Derby a week later.
Runner-up to the brilliant Justa Tad in the New Zealand Oaks and a good second to Calveen in the Dulcie Stakes-Gr 2 at her following start, Prize Lady was some 17 months on the sideline after Brisbane, before commencing her Auckland Cup preparation last November. There is a story there, to be sure.
Prize Lady is the fifth Group/Grade One winner for her sire, following on from the Brisbane Cup/Kelt Capital winner Prized Gem, the Donn Handicap winner Brass Hat, the Rosehill Guineas winner Sale of the Century and the New Zealand filly, Surprize Surprize, whose 8 wins included the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes. Prized was by Kris S, a major sire son of that outstanding influence, Roberto.
This year’s Auckland Cup winner is far and away the best foal of her dam, Pen Bal Lady. Foaled in 1984, Pen Bal Lady raced with moderate success in her native England, winning twice at two, before leaving that form well behind her the following year once shipped to USA. Six times successful in the States, Pen Bal Lady was one of the best of her sex over the next two years with the above mentioned three Grade One victories complemented by wins in the Honeymoon Handicap-Gr 3 and Senorita Stakes-L and placings in the Vanity Handicap-Gr1 and Hollywood Oaks-Gr1.
By the sprinter Mummy’s Game, Pen Bal Lady’s female family is obscure in the first remove or two but quite recognisable thereafter. It is the close-up family of the imported stallions King Midas and Grey Baron, those two horses taking their grey coats from their flying grand-dam Abelia, a daughter of the great Abernant. Abelia is Prize lady’s fifth dam.
In contrast to Prize Lady, Abelia’s five wins all came at 5 furlongs including the prestigious Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Goodwood Molecomb Stakes and the Ascot Cornwallis Stakes. Her father’s daughter was Abelia. Out of interest, the star New Zealand filly of the 80s, Canterbury Belle, is a more distant relation.
Prize Lady’s humble purchase price and fascinating pedigree background makes me think. As it should us all.
Every now and then, blood will out.
 
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