Winner: Purple Prose Poetry in Motion

Emulating his Maiden success, Purple Prose (4 g Embellish – Lady Masako, by Iffraaj) won the $17,000 Betavet Rating 60 1600 metres on 30 April at Riccarton. 

Purple Prose provided the 130th win for premiership winning training Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson at the back end of last season, when capping good poly-track form with a strong course/distance Maiden win over 1600 metres, and after finding the line for close sixth in the Rating 65 1600 metres on 2 April at Ashburton, he rated a top three chance from barrier three.

Ridden by Triston Moodley, who previously finished second on the horse at Timaru, Purple Prose travelled boldly in sixth on the outer, ranged into contention turning for home, and kept up a strong gallop to win easily by two lengths.

It was a good effort by both horse and rider, with Moodley having to contend with a mount that never really dropped the bit and relaxed, while any extra exertion failed to dent the ability of Purple Prose to finish so well.

On the poly-track, Purple Prose ran 1600 metres on 1:37.8 and tightened considerably in betting to pay $3.60 & $1.40 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“We’ve found with the progeny of Embellish that if you’re patient with them then they just keep getting stronger, and I think Purple Prose as a four-year-old is classic example of that,” Walker said. 

“He should keep getting better this year and next, and he’s got the pedigree to go further, being a half-brother to our good staying mare, the recently retired Elegant Lady.

“He’s now won twice over a mile on the poly-track at Riccarton, and there will be plenty of opportunities for him there over the next couple of months. 

“Hunter Durrant, our assistant trainer, has got the team flying down South, and the winners we get in the South Island from our training base at Riccarton is a big part of our overall success.”

Purple Prose winning again in Canterbury was fitting, as dam Lady Masako was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM at the 2015 South Island, paying $23,000, from the draft of Pear Tree Farm (Waimate).

Retained for breeding by Te Akau Cherry Blossom Syndicate, Lady Masako was not disgraced on debut in a Maiden 2YO 1300 metres at Hastings, in a good form race won by subsequent Listed Castletown Stakes' (1200m) runner-up Honey Rider (Pins), but she retired after two starts and Purple Prose is her third individual winner.

Owned by the Te Akau Cherry Blossom Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Purple Prose is a half-brother to stable-mate Elegant Lady, the winner of four races 1900m – 2200m who was twice stakes' placed, and raced by the Te Akau Cherry Blossom 2019 Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM). 

Purple Prose is the third foal from Iffraaj (Zafonic) mare Lady Masako, out of five-time winner Lady Sakura (Jungle Pocket), family of second top Two-Year-Old Lady Bay (Kingdom Bay), dam of Group 2 Grosvenor Championship Stakes (2100m) winner Let’s Cruise (Zabeel).

“We know the family well and it’s great to see it producing more winners,” Ellis said.

“We trained Lady Bay, who won four in a row as a two-year-old, three of them stakes' races, and Mark (Walker) trained her daughter Let’s Cruise (Zabeel), who was a really good filly that won the Championship Stakes at Ellerslie, and we sold her for good money to America.”

Purple Prose has a Sir Tristram bloodline cross in his sire line and Nureyev cross on his dam side. 

Incredibly Iffraaj (Zafonic) has now produced over 550 winners as a broodmare sire, including nearly 50 individual stakes' winners, most notably Te Akau trained dual New Zealand Horse of the Year Melody Belle (Commands) whose 14 Group One wins surpassed the previous record set by Sunline (Desert Sun).

Purple Prose was strapped by Katie Dennett. 

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