In Foal to Proisir - Pearl of Alsace Chasing G1 Win

Media Release - Friday December 6

Pearl Of Alsace is in foal and entering the final few weeks of her racing career, but trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray hope a return to her favourite track might allow her to cap her CV with a Group One breakthrough.

The six-year-old will line up in Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham, where her three previous starts have produced three impressive wins including the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m).

Pearl Of Alsace will attempt to cap her career with a first Group One victory in Saturday's TAB Mufhasa Classic.  Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Overall, Pearl Of Alsace has won seven of her 17 starts and more than $339,820 in stakes for owner-breeder Sir Peter Vela. The daughter of Tavistock has contested five Group One races, finishing fourth in last year’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) and third in the Livamol Classic (2040m), followed by sevenths in this year’s Breeders’ Stakes, Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) and Livamol Classic.

Pearl Of Alsace was served by Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir after her Livamol run in October, and she showed immediate improvement when she returned to action with a last-start second in the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) on November 16.

“She was served before that last-start placing and she’s now confirmed to be in foal to Proisir,” Ritchie said. “She was racing a fraction below her best earlier in the campaign. The freshen up did her good, and we were very pleased with her performance at Tauranga.

“She heads into Saturday’s race with some excellent stats. She’s unbeaten in three starts at the track, and she’s won five of 10 at the 1600m distance as well.

“The only little thing that hasn’t fallen perfectly into place for her is that, as an older mare now, she’s at her best when there’s a little bit of cut out of the track. The likely firm ground at Trentham on Saturday is the only negative we can find in the whole script leading into the race this weekend.

Advertisement

“But she’s a Group One placegetter and has always shown us that she had the ability to win one. She’ll probably have only three or four more cracks at it before she goes to become a mum, so we’d love nothing more than to nail a win in one of those. Failing that, hopefully we can at least fill up that pedigree page with some more placings at the elite level, setting her up nicely for the next stage of her career.”

Pearl Of Alsace will be ridden by Jonathan Riddell and is rated an $11 chance by the TAB. The market is dominated by La Crique at $2.35, with El Vencedor ($6) and One Bold Cat ($9) the others in single figures.

Meanwhile, Ritchie reported that the unbeaten Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) winner Tuxedo is likely to be seen at Ellerslie on either Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. The Tivaci gelding is being pointed towards the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) on January 25, for which he is rated a $12 chance. Further down the track, he is at $16 for the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) on March 8 and also at $16 for the inaugural NZB Kiwi (1500m) on the same day.

“He’s a pretty exciting young horse,” Ritchie said. “He’s safely in the Karaka Millions field now, so that’s the next target that we’ll work towards. We’re keen for him to have a look around Ellerslie before then, so he’ll definitely line up there at some point over the Christmas and New Year carnival. Then we’ll carry on into the Karaka Millions. He pulled a little bit the other day, so we’re hoping he’ll learn to relax a bit better.

“After the Karaka Millions, we’ll have a decision to make around whether we go along an Avondale Guineas (Gr.2, 2100m) and Derby path or whether we try to talk to a slot holder and get into the NZB Kiwi. Those will be some nice conversations to have. As always with nice horses, he’ll tell us what to do. He’s had only two runs, so we’re still learning about him and he’s learning about us.

“But he has a tremendous amount of talent. I was really impressed with the determination he showed at Otaki to really stretch out and catch a promising filly (Island Life) that wasn’t stopping. I think we’ve got an exciting few months ahead.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk.

Advertisment
More Reading...
King of Roseau Wins G3 Aurie’s Star
Placed in the Listed VRC Poseidon Stakes at Flemington last spring as a three year-old behind Growing Empire, Capitalist gelding King of Roseau returned to the same venue on Saturday to capture the Group III VRC Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m).
The Novelist Returns to Form
The very first stakes-winner for his sire Written By when winning the Group III BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes in December 2022, The Novelist made light of the heavy 10 track at Rosehill on Saturday to claim another victory.
Kosciuszko calling Rosehill winner Elson Boy
Dubbo-trained Elson Boy was back in the winner’s circle after a 412-day absence when leading throughout to land the Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill in the hands of apprentice William Stanley.
Kiwi Bred Keeps Winners Coming for Payne Stable
The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Bold Soul has been a consistent performer right through the winter months and notched another win at Flemington when prevailing in the VRC Membership Renewals Open (2530m) on Saturday.
Tavistock Mare Chasing G1
Pearl Of Alsace has enjoyed a faultless preparation and will strip at the top of her game for Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings.
Winning Hat-Trick for Progressive Pierro
Richard and Will Freedman probably have more talented horses in the stable than Pierro gelding Cold Brew, but few have the consistency of this four year-old who landed a winning hat-trick at Rosehill on Saturday.
Pearl of Alsace Chasing G1 Finale
Well-performed mare Pearl Of Alsace will have conditions to suit on Saturday in her quest to add a major title to her CV before the curtain comes down on her career.
Unbeaten Blueblood Mare Aiming Up at G1
The Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) was originally viewed as Pearl Of Alsace’s grand final, but the unbeaten mare has since convinced connections to raise the bar one more time.
Unbeaten Tavistock Mare Wins G3 Cuddle
Talented mare Pearl Of Alsace extended her unbeaten run to five when she stepped up to stakes company with a narrow victory in the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) a Trentham.
Crossbow Takes Aim At Flemington To Score
With quality efforts behind handy horses in his first three starts, trainer Chris Waller crossed the border to Victoria with instant success for the Star Thoroughbreds raced Crossbow, with the well-marked son of Better Than Ready breaking through for an impressive win.