Princess Grace Opens Australian Account in Hawkesbury Crown

Mark Smith - Saturday April 22

China Horse Club’s Princess Grace (USA) fell just short of making a winning Australian debut when third in the Group III Sapphire stakes at Randwick but made no mistake in her second in Saturday’s $200,000 Group III Hawkesbury Crown (1300m).

Is there a Group 1 in the spring for Princess Grace? (image Steve Hart)

Ridden by Nash Rawiller for Chris Waller, Princess Grace (USA) scythed between runners in the straight to win running way by one and three-quarter lengths from the pacesetting Expat (Makfi) with a half-head back to Dalchini (Flying Artie) in third.

Advertisement

A US$1,700,000 purchase at Fasig-Tipton’s Night Of Stars Sale, Princess Grace (USA) would rate among the best racemares imported to Australia.

She won seven of her 14 starts in the US, with five stakes wins highlighted by the Grade II Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar and the Grade II Mrs Reeves Stakes at Churchill Downs, her only start on dirt.  She also placed in the prestigious Grade 1 Beverly D. and Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes.

Her sire Karakonte (JPN) was conceived in the US, foaled in Japan, raced in Europe and America, and stands at Gainesway Stud, Kentucky.

By the Storm Cat stallion Bernstein (USA), Karakonte (JPN)  won the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas), Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and the 2014 Breeders' Cup Mile.

Carrying a 3x3 cross to the breed-shaper Sunday Silence, Princess Grace (USA) is a daughter of stakes-placed Masquerade by another Japanese-bred stallion Silent Name (JPN), a son of Sunday Silence.

Stable representative Charlie Duckworth said races like the Group 1 Myer stakes in the spring would be considered.

Advertisment

Race Result - Pioneer Services H'bury Crown Gr3 1300m

Hawkesbury Track: Good(4) Time: 1:16.08
1
Princess Grace
- 6m Karakontie (JPN) x Masquerade (USA) (Silent Name (JPN))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: N Rawiller 59
2
1.8
Expat
- 5m Makfi (GB) x Utmost Caution (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: B Prebble 59
3
1.9
Dalchini
- 4m Flying Artie (AUS) x Cinnamon Dove (USA) (Gulch (USA))
Tnr: Lee & Cherie Curtis Rdr: J Ford 56
Flying Artie
4
2.0
Tycoon Evie
- 5m Written Tycoon (AUS) x Winaura (AUS) (Show A Heart (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: J Parr 58
5
2.1
Written Beauty
- 5m Written Tycoon (AUS) x Beauty World (AUS) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J Moreira 58
6
2.2
Larkspur Run
- 4m Shamardal (USA) x Aspen (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: B Avdulla 58
7
2.4
Bring The Ransom
- 6m Sebring (AUS) x Gold Epona (AUS) (Stratum (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Tyler Schiller 58
8
2.9
Meg
- 5m Sebring (AUS) x Martilago (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Matthew Dale Rdr: S Clipperton 57
9
3.3
Katalin
- 6m Medaglia D'Oro (USA) x Kanzan (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Rachel King 56
10
3.5
Nicci's Fling
- 5m Nicconi (AUS) x Midnight Fling (AUS) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: G Portelli Rdr: Reece Jones 56
11
4.1
More Prophets
- 6m Smart Missile (AUS) x Set To Skelter (AUS) (Reset (AUS))
Tnr: John Thompson Rdr: K Mc Evoy 57
12
4.7
Barossa Rosa
- 5m Adelaide (IRE) x Androssa (AUS) (Testa Rossa (AUS))
Tnr: T J Bartley Rdr: J R Collett 57
13
5.1
Never Talk
- 5m No Nay Never (USA) x Palace Talk (NZ) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 56
14
5.8
Sur La Mer
- 5m Nicconi (AUS) x Clearwater Bay (AUS) (Stratum (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J B Mc Donald 56
More Reading...
Ardrossan Filly Wins First Kiwi Juvenile Race of New Season
Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece.
Aquis Welcome First foals for Young Gun Officiating
A fast Group winning sprinter by Breeders Cup Classic winner Blame, Officiating (USA) was carefully selected by Aquis Stallions following a global headhunting mission to secure an outcross stallion for Queensland and his first foals are arriving this spring.
Best On Breeding
It is unlikely that there has ever been a major raceday dominated by horses bred outside Australia than day two of The Championships at Randwick on Saturday.
Invincible Filly Snares $100,000 Inglis Bonus
The least expensive filly by champion sire I Am Invincible sold at Inglis Easter in 2024, Wear the Crown always looked to have been well bought at $260,000 by Seib/Racing / Champion Thoroughbreds and she set about repaying her purchase price at Goulburn on Thursday.
Breeding to Win - 2025 Manikato Stakes
Racing at The Valley on Grand Final Eve in Melbourne - the southern capital doing what it does best, bringing people together in celebration of sporting greatness!
Sires With Winners - Thursday September 25
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Golden Rose Colts – Sires of the Future
The $1million Group I ATC Golden Rose (1400m) this Saturday offers the winner far more than prizemoney and assuming it’s a colt he is given a golden ticket to a commercial stud career, so let’s take a look at this year’s contenders, who would you want on your stallion roster in 2026?
€1.9million Sale-Topping Colt Wins G3 Somerville Stakes
The Group III Somerville Stakes (7f) was run at Newmarket overnight with the Godolphin blue carried by exciting Night of Thunder colt Distant Storm, who they purchased for a sale-topping €1.9million at the Arqana May Breeze Up Sale earlier this year.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Richard Johnston has bred some very good horses under his Bylong Park banner including triple Group I winner Think It Over and an Anders three year-old he bred and races was an eye-catching debut winner at Hawkesbury on Thursday.
30 Runners in Goffs Million!
The stage is set for Europe’s richest two-year-old race, the Goffs Million (7f), which has attracted a maximum field of 30 runners at the Curragh this Saturday and the €1 million contest, with prize money down to 10th, is only open to graduates of last year’s Goffs Orby Sale.