Azamour's Aloisia Powers to Victory in the One Thousand Guineas

Mark Smith - Saturday October 14

Second in last season's Group I JJ Atkins Stakes at Doomben back in June, former New Zealander Aloisia took to the big stage in Saturday's Group I MRC Thousand Guineas (1600m) where she earned trainer Aaron Purcell his first winner at the highest level.

Placed at Trentham in two starts at two in New Zealand, Aloisia caught the eye of bloodstock agent Phil Cataldo who negotiated her sale to OTI Racing.

She was sent to Ciaron Maher for whom she won first-up over 1400 metres at Flemington encouraging connections to take the quantum leap to the Group I JJ Atkins Stakes at Doomben where she had little luck when second to Capital Gain.

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Aloisia was again out of luck at her 3yo bow when a close-up fifth over 1400 metres at Caulfield.

Following Ciaron Maher's 6 month suspension, Aaron Purcell took over the running of the stable.


If she did not have the rub of the green in those two races she more than made up for it in the Thousand Guineas.

Under a rails-hugging ride by Luke Nolen, Aloisia came from midfield without having to go around a horse.

The daughter of Azamour hit the line strongly to defeat Shoals (Fastnet Rock) by one and a quarter lengths with Alizee (Sepoy) three-quarters of a length back in third.   (photo Grant Courtney)

"I obviously took over a stable that was in great shape.

"I've known Ciaron and his staff for a long time and I know how they go about things and the procedures and how professional how they go about things.

"I was confident that if I let the guys do their job the results are going to come.

OTI's Terry Henderson revealed how he came out owning the daughter of Azamour.

"Thanks to (bloodstock agent) Phil Cataldo back in New Zealand who selected this horse for us and said you should buy it," Henderson revealed.

"To put it in the Maher stable and now the Purcell stable is really satisfying.

"It's lovely to buy them when they are not too expensive and come out and win Group Ones 12 months later."



Aloisia comes from the first and final New Zealand conceived crop left by the Aga Khan's Night Shift stallion Azamour who won the St James's Palace Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes as a three-year-old, before taking the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes as a four-year-old.

Retired to Gilltown Stud in 2006, Azamour shuttled for the first time to Brighthill Stud in New Zealand for the Southern Hemisphere season in 2013.

Tragically he died the following year at Gilltown Stud.

One of the 75 mares he covered at Brighthill was the stakes-placed Perfectly Ready mare Queen Boudicca, the dam of Aloisia and a 2yo filly by Keeper named Wyetta and a yearling colt by Swiss Ace.

Queen Boudicca was covered by Dalghar (FR) last spring. 

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