Bourbon Empress a Great Result for Highline Thoroughbreds

Media Release - Thursday January 2

The emergence of Bourbon Empress has gone a long way toward confirming a future plan for Highline Thoroughbreds.

The Stephen Marsh-trained daughter of Proisir was bred by Cam and Eva Heron’s Cambridge operation and her victory in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mie (1600m) has all but decided the way forward for the mare’s dam Amiga Mia.

Bourbon Empress winning the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mie (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.   Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

“She’s got an Ardrossan colt at foot and we’ve left her empty this year and thought we’d wait and see what happens with Sulabella, who has won five, and her sister Bourbon Empress,” Cam Heron said.

“We thought if either one of those could get black type, which Bourbon Empress has now, then then the mare would go back on an early cover next year to Proisir.”

Bourbon Empress was purchased by Marsh out of Highline’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $80,000 and she’s now won four of her 10 starts.

“Stephen and his team have done a great job with her over the last couple of years,” Heron said.

“They have been patient with her and are reaping the rewards now.”

Bourbon Empress’ dam Amiga Mia is a daughter of Conatus and the Encosta De Lago mare Amistosa, a half-sister to the Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) winner Saint Minerva.

“We bought her at Karaka at the old May Sale, she was an ex-Westbury mare and we got her for $500, it was a good buy and you win some occasionally,” Heron said.

Advertisement

“She was in foal to Cecconi and then we left her empty for a couple of years. At that stage, Proisir had arrived in New Zealand, so we sent her to him and the result was Pimlico.

“He was a good horse, he was third in a Group Two at Te Rapa (Waikato Guineas, 2000m) and got sold to Hong Kong.”

Highline is hoping its breeding success can be followed up in the auction ring with a strong draft headed to the upcoming National Yearling Sale at Karaka.

“We’re on the Proisir train and we’ve got a colt out of Tuppence (Lot 373) and a couple of big shot fillies,” Heron said.

The son of the champion stallion is from the family of the late, great O’Reilly and the multiple Group One winner and another successful sire in Ocean Park.

The first of Highline’s Proisir fillies through the ring will be Lot 113, a half-sister to the Gr.3 The Gong (1600m) and Listed Big Dance (1600m) winner Gringotts, while Lot 440 is a sister to the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) winner Dark Destroyer.

“We’ve got a good variety of other stallions with a really nice Too Darn Hot filly (Lot 88) and a Prague filly (Lot 213),” Heron said.

We’ve also got top colts by Anders (Lot 303) and Tassort (Lot 1), they are both nice, strong types so we’re really happy with the draft we’ll be taking.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Visit the profile page for Proisir

Proisir in upcoming sales:
Advertisment
More Reading...
Waterhouse Bott Stable Secure Fresh Blood at Tattersalls Horses in Training
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott may well have won a Cox Plate and a Melbourne Cup this spring had their imported stayer Sir Delius (GB) not been ruled out following vetting scans, but the disappointment of that experience has in no way dampened their enthusiasm for the European product.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday October 28
Here is the full list of 24 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Waller Seeking Another Melbourne Cup
He may already have a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) win to his name but New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller says he still yearns to win the Flemington showpiece as much as anyone.
Long Legs Strides Clear At Rosehill
Coming out on top in Wednesday’s $100,000 ATC Tab Plate (1400m) at Rosehill, the Gary Portelli trained 3yo Russian Revolution filly Long Legs broke her maiden in the style of a filly destined for bigger and better races.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday October 29
Here is the full list of 44 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Zaaki Relation Gladius Tops Second Day of Autumn HIT Sale at 950,000 Guineas
The second day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale was headed by the three-year-old colt GLADIUS at 950,000 guineas, one of eight lots to realise 300,000 guineas or more. International purchasers were again to the fore with buyers from Australia, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia securing the top five lots.
Kiwi Bred Evaporate on Track for Golden Eagle
New Zealand-bred gelding Evaporate will be seeking to pick up the biggest cheque of his career when he heads to Randwick on Saturday to contest the A$10 million Golden Eagle (1500m).
Mare in Foal to Home Affairs Tops MM Digital at $350,000
Impeccably related mare Taste of Heaven topped the first Magic Millions Digital Sale conducted today.
G3 Bendigo Cup Success For Australian Bloodstock Owned Sayedaty Sadaty
Ciaron Maher and Australian Bloodstock teamed up on Wednesday to win the $500,000 Group 3 Bendigo Cup (2400m) with 5yo gelding Sayedaty Sadaty (IRE), who will now need a weight penalty to force his way into the $10m Group 1 VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Aussie Bred Sprinter to Run in G1 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint This Weekend
Australian spring racing might appear to be the centre of the universe in our neck of the woods, but in the Northern Hemisphere this weekend it is all about the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar in California and an Aussie bred sprinter could be poised to spring an upset.