When you’re on a good thing stick to it has paid big dividends for the Hawkes family who have purchased and trained all three stakes-winners out of Windsor Park Stud’s royally-related Polish Precedent mare Polish Princess (GB).
For Windsor Park the story began at the 2004 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale when they purchased Polish Princess (GB) for 75,000 guineas out of the Meon Valley Stud draft.
It looked particularly good buying considering a half-sister by Green Desert made 480,000 guineas to the bid of John Ferguson Bloodstock the previous year and the year before that another half-sister by Cadeaux Genereux had been knocked down to Charlie Gordon-Watson Bloodstock for $200,000.
A year after Polish Princess went through the ring, her half-sister by Act One was purchased by Shadwell Estates for 300,000 guineas.
They were all daughters of the Warning mare Repeat Warning who could boast just a third placing at Windsor as the highlight of her two-start career but she had many notable siblings.
They included five stakes-winners for Meon Valley’s blue hen Reprocolor who had been purchased for 25,000 guineas by agent Richard Galpin, on behalf of Weinfeld family at the 1977 Tattersalls December yearling sale. The daughter of Jimmy Reppin won three stakes, the Group III Oaks Trial Stakes, Group III Lancashire Oaks and Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket and placed in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks.
Reprocolor had a long and fruitful life at Meon Valley, leaving 18 live foals before her death at the age of 32.
Among her best was Cezanne the winner of the 1994 Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes while daughter Colorspin won the1986 Irish Oaks and Bella Colora captured the Group II Prix de l’Opera.
Both Colorspin and Bella Colora became exceptional broodmares.
Colorspin produced group I winners Opera House (1993 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and successful sire in Japan), Kayf Tara (twice winner of the Ascot Gold Cup and multiple champion National Hunt sire, and Zee Zee Top (Group 1 Prix de l'Opera).
Bella Colora’s is the dam of four stakes winners including the multiple Group II winner Stagecraft.
Repeat Warning has played her part as she is the dam of the Listed winner and Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up Suez who is the dam of Group 1 Newmarket Fillies Mile winner Lyric Of Light.
Shortly after her sale as a yearling, Polish Princess was flown to New Zealand and put in training with Mark Walker.
She performed with distinction winning four races including a Listed race and was third in the Group 1 AuRC Champions Mile.
Polish Princess (GB) was sent to campaign in Australia when EI hit. In a change of course she was covered by Encosta de Lago.
The resultant colt foal was consigned to the 2010 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale where he was purchased for $420,000 by Hawkes Racing.
Named Polish Knight went on to win the Group II Tulloch Stakes and was edged out by Ethiopia in the Group 1 ATC Australian Derby.
Hawkes Racing also signed the ticket for $460,000 for the second foal a Zabeel colt named Leebaz.
The winner of nine races with over a million dollars in the bank, Leebaz numbered four stakes wins including two runnings of the Group II Hollindale Stakes and was second to Streama in the Group 1 Doomben Cup.
At the 2014 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, Hawkes Racing has the final bid of $200,000 for Polish Princess’s chestnut filly by Rip Van Winkle (IRE).
Named Euro Angel she was a bit of a tease although clearly talented winning three races including the Group III MRC Ladies Day Vase while banking $310,000.
Euro Angel has a yearling colt and a weanling filly by the champion Snitzel.
She was covered last year by The Autumn Sun so she is being given every chance to extend the success of this extraordinary family.
In 2019 Polish Princess’s Savabeel colt held an entry for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He did not make the trip but it was no surprise to see him turn up in the stables of John, Wayne and Michael Hawkes under the name Zebrowski
From five starts the lightly raced gelding has won at Newcastle and Randwick.
Zebrowski acquitted himself admirably at his first stakes attempt when second to Quick Thinker in the Group II Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill and meets that horse again as well as the proven stars Castelvecchio and Shadow Hero in Saturday’s Group 1 ATC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick.
Polish Princess (GB) has a 2yo brother to Zebrowski but sadly it will be her last. She died at the age of 16 before foaling to Turn Me Loose.
A win by Zebrowski in the ATC Australian Derby would advance Waikato Stud's Savabeel to 100 stakes-winners and what a race to achieve this enormous milestone.
