Two Runners, Two Winners - Probabeel Perfect

Like the All Blacks against Canada, Probabeel (3 f Savabeel - Far Fetched, by Pins) was a class above her opponents in the $25,000 Property Brokers 3YO 1400 metres on Saturday at Awapuni.

One of the best horses in New Zealand, and rated 21 points above second best, she looked the biggest certainty seen on a racecourse for ages, and so it proved. 

Recovering to a handy position after being tardily away, Probabeel took a little while to wind up once clear in the straight before asserting her superiority under rider Opie Bosson. 

“The class act returns with a classy performance,” said commentator Tony Lee, as she galloped through the line. “She's been too good here, as expected.”

“I rode her a little handier than planned,” Bosson said. “There was a bit of pressure on us throughout the race, but she's quite a lazy horse. She's got a good turn of foot, so you know she can get you out of trouble. Once she balanced up, she changed leg and felt really good.”

The $1m Karaka Million (Restricted Listed, 1200m) winner in January last year, which provided trainer Jamie Richards with a hat-trick in the race, following reigning Horse of the Year Melody Belle (Commands) and Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Probabeel had been freshened since finishing second in the Flight Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m), second in the Tea Rose Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m), and fourth in the Furious Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) during the Princess Series at Randwick, Sydney.

Impressive winning at trial on 16 December at Te Aroha, she had done everything right during an exhibition gallop between races on 28 December at Matamata, and Richards was using the race and trip away as a timely lead-up to the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (Restricted Listed, 1600m) on Saturday 25 January at Ellerslie. 

“She had bee in her bonnet before the start, so she's going to improve a lot for it,” Richards said. “She's not usually a filly to win by a big margin, so good to see we've got that out of the road. 

“I guess you would like to have seen her do it a little bit easier, but she's probably one of those fillies that only goes as well as the other ones are going. She'll improve a lot.”

Owned by Brendan Lindsay MNZM & Jo Lindsay at Cambridge Stud, Probabeel was purchased by David Ellis for $380,000, from the draft of Waikato Stud, at the 2018 Karaka Book 1 Sale. With four wins, three seconds, from 10 starts, she has won $769,000 in prize money. 

“I purchased Probabeel to syndicate and two days later Brendan and Jo came and bought her outright, which is great, and not only are they having a hell of a lot of fun but she's become an immensely valuable filly,” Ellis said. 

“She was prepared by Waikato Stud, a nursery we've got a very close association with and one we've had huge success buying from. They run a great farm and they've got horses in work with Te Akau, so it's a really big team effort. 

“Probabeel showed she was special when winning her first start at Ellerslie, and after winning three from four she unfortunately struck two heavy tracks when we took her to Sydney as a two-year-old.

“She had a good spell and we kicked her off again at Randwick, and, really, she was pretty unlucky not to win one of the legs of the Princess Series. She was racing against the best fillies in Australia, and showed she was up to them.

“Jamie (Richards) has done a terrific job with her and it's exciting for Brendan & Jo, and all our team, that she can contest another million dollar race at the end of January. She loves Ellerslie, killed them in the Karaka Million, and I think she'll be a top chance.”

Probabeel was strapped by Mason Stevens.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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