4 Win Thursday - Porcia Pounces

Recent course/distance winner Porcia Catonis (3 f Super Seth – Dark Heather, by Cape Blanco) sailed home again in the $17,000 Rating 65 1400 metres on 29 May at Riccarton - becoming the stable's second winner of the day on the Riccarton programme.

Having responded well to win the Maiden 1400 metres on 1 May, Porcia Catonis finished sixth after contesting a genuine pace in the Pearl Series 1400 metres on 15 May, and the race looked an ideal opportunity to bounce back as a top three chance. 

Ridden quietly on this occasion by Te Akau apprentice Hayley Hassman (a4), who guided stable-mate Sense Of Timing to a stunning win last Saturday at Te Rapa, Porcia Catonis reversed the pattern of her previous start by settling second last.

Although back to last just inside the 600m, a genuine pace had ensued, and once drawn widest in the straight she joined in for fun before clearing out to win by nearly three lengths. 

“That was a really strong win by Porcia Catonis,” said Mark Walker, who trains with Sam Bergerson. 

“Hayley is riding in great form, she’ll be down to a three-kilo claim before we know it, but the filly really quickened when she presented her and that’s a sign a rider being able to balance them up properly in the straight.

“Her previous run had us wondering, but she won with a lot of authority today.

“The progeny of Super Seth, they’re just continuing to get better and better with racing experience, and he’s a very exciting New Zealand based sire.”

In the race named Thank You Brad Thistoll, who managed the crossing on track work mornings at Riccarton, Porcia Catonis took her record to two wins and a second, from four starts on the poly-track, ran 1400 metres in 1:23.2, and paid $6.70 & $2.10 on the NZ TAB tote.

Owned by the Fortuna Porcia Catonis Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), she was purchased for A$110,000 by David Ellis CNZM for Fortuna Racing at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Bhima Thoroughbreds. 

“That was quite impressive,” Galvin said.

“She won her Maiden very well, off a wide draw, then disappointed us a bit last time after racing on the speed, which was a head-scratcher, but she again came to life after being ridden off the pace and zoomed down the outside of the track.

“She had the draw (2) last time, so we looked to utilize that, but it seems she prefers to settle off the pace and get home strongly. 

“The (poly-track) surface is agreeing with her and it was another nice victory, to make it two for the owners in a month.

“I’m pleased for Hayley (Hassman), she’s riding out of her skin at the moment. Obviously, she took four kilograms off what was already a lightish weight, to carry 52.5kg, and that is a big help. 

“Well done to the training team, Mark and Sam, and Hunter (Durrant), there at Riccarton, and Porcia Catonis is starting to build a reasonably impressive CV.”

Porcia Catonis is a daughter of Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth (Dundeel), whose oldest crop three-year-olds have been to the fore this season with three Group One wins in Australasia, including stable-mate La Dorada who won the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes following victories in both the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO and Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes, to secure front-running for Champion Two-Year-Old honours for this season. 

Super Seth made a fantastic impact as a three-year-old colt, especially when ‘coming from nowhere’ to beat race favourite Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m). 

Super Seth is a son of six-time Group One winner Dundeel, a recent inductee to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame, and a very good sire in Australia, with 73 stakes' wins including 14 Group One, in turn by sire of sires High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells).

Porcia Catonis carries a bloodline cross to breed shaping sire Sadler’s Well (Northern Dancer) through her two sire lines. 

Porcia Catonis was strapped by Leah Norvall. 

Photo credit - Ajay Berry - www.racingimages.co.nz