Group 1 Girl Campionessa Retired

Te Akau's million-dollar earner, bold mare Campionessa (Contributer) has been retired from racing, following a career that encompassed 11 victories including a Group One, four Group Two's, and a Listed race.

It was a case of right place, right time, for buyer David Ellis CNZM, after Campionessa had been passed in as a yearling at Karaka, and again at the 2019 Gold Coast Magic Millions' National Yearling Sale, where he made an offer of A$60,000 to Mapperley Stud owner and breeder Simms Davison.

At the time, Davison said: “She’s a lovely filly, always been my pick of the yearlings, and a staff favourite all the way through. 

“She’s a nice athletic type and always had a presence in the paddock from an early age, even as weanling there was something sexy about her. 

“I’m glad she’s going to be trained at Te Akau and I’m happy that another nice Contributer filly has gone to David Ellis because he’s our biggest buyer and its good exposure for the stallion to have progeny in a top stable where they will get every chance.”

After buying two yearlings by first season sire Contributer (High Chaparral) in January 2019 at Karaka, Ellis was pleased to secure her for owners in the Te Akau Campionessa Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

Champion Australian Middle-Distance Horse of the Year, Contributer (High Chaparral) was a dual Group One winner of the Chipping Norton 1600m and Ranvet Stakes 2000m. 

His sire, High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), winner of six Group One races including the English and Irish Derbies, sired 135 stakes' winners and a noted sire of sires, including So You Think, Dundeel, Tivaci, Toronado, and Redwood. 

When purchasing Campionessa, Ellis said: “We’re really excited by the stock of Contributer. He was a pretty exciting racehorse. I think he’s a great chance of making it as a sire and a really good addition to the New Zealand stallion industry. 

“Mapperley breed top horses and they’ve thought so much of this filly all the way through that they’ve retained a share.

“She’s a really nice medium sized filly with lovely markings, that walked well, from a good family, with a great line-up of sires on her dam side.

“The mare has already left a stakes' performer at two and she was later sold for a high price (A$260,000) at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in Sydney, so the family has already taken a significant step.”

Dam, Bella Carolina (O’Reilly), won three times to 1400 metres and at the time of Campionessa retiring had left five individual winners of 27 races. 

Campionessa headed the list with 11 wins from 1215m – 2500m, including stakes' victories in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic 2050m, Group 2 Rich Hill Mile 1600m, Group 2 Peter Young Stakes 1800m (Melbourne), Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes 1600m, Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes 1400m, and Listed Metropolitan Trophy 2500m. 

Bella Carolina also left Listed Wellesley Stakes winner Tennessee (Per Incanto), Futurity Stakes' winner Leedox (Time Test), and nine-time winner Maestro (He’s Remarkable). 

The dam sires in the pedigree of Campionessa are among the best to ever stand in New Zealand: Champion Sires O’Reilly and in turn Centaine and Noble Bijou. While through her sire-lines, she carries a cross of immortal sire Northern Dancer. 

“Campionessa, she was a great mare, very tough, and just got better from season to season,” said trainer Mark Walker. 

“As a three-year-old, she went through the grades, but we didn’t necessarily think that she was up to Group One quality.

“But she continued to improve and as a four-year-old went down to our Riccarton base in search of black type. She ran second in the Listed Spring Classic over 2000m and then won Listed Metropolitan Trophy over 2500m, the lead-up to the New Zealand Cup, with a brilliant ride by top Australian jockey Josh Parr.

“We spelled her and she came back and won the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile first-up, which was has always been a hard race to win, and it was an exceptional effort.

“To win it first-up, we knew then that she was continuing to improve, and each season, as I mentioned, she just got better and better, highlighting with her two peak performances in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic and the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes in Melbourne, when she beat home two Melbourne Cup winners, Gold Trip and Vow and Declare.

“She’s always been a very sound mare, very tough, and she’d be a great addition to anyone’s broodmare band.”

Campionessa won 11 races, recorded eight seconds, four thirds, and $1.4 million in prize money. 'Caro' as she is known to her owners and the Te Akau team, will be sorely missed.  She will be offered at the Magic Millions' National Broodmare Sale on 27 May, 2025.