Probabeel and Funstar are just about on first name terms having fought out several stirring duals but the New Zealander has had the wood on Funstar of late and it was the case again in Saturday’s $1,000,000 Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick.
Coming off a win in the Group III Bill Ritchie Stakes, the Jamie Richards-trained 4yo daughter of Savabeel was caught wide for the majority of the trip under Kerrin McEvoy but found plenty in the straight to defeat Funstar (Adelaide) by a length with another former kiwi Riodini (Proisir) a short-neck back in third.
Back in February Probabeel downed Funstar in the Group 1 Surround Stakes before the daughter of Adelaide reversed the decision in the Group II Phar Lap Stakes.
“She a lovely mare and just loves this track at the mile and she just savages the line,” stable representative Craig Thornton said.
“David Ellis selected this mare as a yearling. She won the Karaka Millions as a 2yo on behalf of Brendan and Jo Lindsay and I would just like to thank the team at her for a wonderful job.
“This is a big deal for New Zealand racing and for Jamie who is a young trainer on the rise.”
Purchased by David Ellis for $380,000 out of the Waikato Stud draft at the 2018 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, Probabeel advances her record to 8 wins and 6 seconds from 18 starts with earnings of $2,371,478.
Probabeel is the first and only foal of the stakes-placed Pins mare Far Fetched who died at the age of seven in 2017.
She was a three-quarter sister to Group II MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude and Group III Manfred Stakes winner Legless Veuve and the Group III MRC Mannerism Stakes winner and Group 1 WRC Telegraph Hcp runner-up Tootsie.
