Porcia Catonis Pounces

On the line matters most, and Porcia Catonis (3 f Super Seth – Dark Heather, by Cape Blanco) did enough to prevail in the $17,000 Maiden NZB Mega Maiden Series 1400 metres on 1 May at Riccarton (poly-track).

Purchased for A$100,000 by David Ellis and Fortuna Racing at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Bhima Thoroughbreds, and owned by Fortuna Porcia Catonis Syndicate (Mgr: J. Galvin), she had a second and fourth to her credit before breaking through at start four.

Porcia Catonis had shown a liking for the poly-track when finishing close second following a tough trip in the Maiden 1200 metres on 6 December at Riccarton, and most recently did well off a wide run for fourth in the Maiden 1200 metres on 12 April when resuming on the course.

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 the front-running for Champion Two-Year-Old honours - likely alongside unbeaten stablemate Return To Conquer, the winner of all four of his starts, all at black type level.

Ridden by former Te Akau apprentice Jasmine Fawcett, who continues to develop a terrific career in the NZ jockey ranks, Porcia Catonis worked forward from the outside gate (14) to race three-wide on the pace and kept responding in the straight to get her head in front near the line. 

On a rain-affected poly-track, she ran 1400 metres 1:26.7 and justified $2.70 & $1.30 favouritism on the NZ TAB tote.

“It was a really good effort to get up and win, from the wide draw, and good to see Jasmine (Fawcett) get a winner as she’s one of the hardest working jockeys around,” said Mark Walker, who trains with Sam Bergerson. 

“It was a tough effort, she had no favours, and kept finding to get up and win. 

“Hopefully the win will give her confidence going forward and we’ll make plans after we assess how she pulls up.”

Porcia Catonis provided Walker & Bergerson with their 23rd success on the poly-track at Riccarton, in just their second season training in partnership, while leading the premiership and looking to defend their Champion Trainers' title from last season. 

“She’d been desperately unlucky,” Galvin said. “She was a bit ordinary at her first start, but in her second start, on the poly-track, before Christmas, she was a morale beaten.

“She resumed with a very good run for second in April and today I thought was exceptional after a really tough run, three and four-wide.

“Heavy rain had made the synthetic track quite holding, and turning for home I thought she may have had enough, but she kept on finding and grinding away.  So, it was a very tough and determined win.

“Super Seth is having an exceptional run as a stallion, with three Group One winners in a month or so, and we think Porcia Catonis is a filly with a bit of a future.

“Only a Maiden race today, so she has to push on, but at least she’s got a win on the board early in her career. She’s obviously got a bit of courage about her.  Even when she ran second in December, it was a similar thing, you could swear off the tough trip that she would die on her run, but she kept on finding.

“It indicates that she might get over a bit more ground, as well.”

The sire of Porcia Catonis, 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 One Caulfield Guineas.

Super Seth is a son of six-time Group One winner Dundeel, a very good sire in Australia, with 71 stakes' wins including 13 Group One's, 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 Grace Stevenson. 

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