Sire sensation: Proisir a rags-to-riches story

Cover image courtesy of Rich Hill Stud

On Thursday at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale, a breeding right to the Rich Hill Stud-based Proisir was auctioned as Lot 101; lest to say the breeding right was well-received by buyers, after an intense round of bidding, the share was knocked down to Vin Cox on behalf of Godolphin Australia for $400,000.

They say timing is everything and a breeding right to the son of Choisir couldn’t have been better timed. Proisir's name is on racing and breeding industry participants' lips due to his recent sensational results on the racetrack. However, it is important to note, Proisir has been no overnight sensation or flash-in-the-pan star; he hasn’t been given the nickname ‘the upgrader’ for no reason.

Proisir was bred by Tony Falcone and was born in 2009. He is the second foal from the Encosta De Lago mare Prophet Jewel and a son of the late Coolmore Stud-based Choisir, a sire of over 100 stakes winners.

Prophet Jewel was a winner of six races, albeit without setting the world on fire, but her fortunes have increased 10-fold as a broodmare. She would be the dam of a sixth foal and full brother to Proisir, named Divine Prophet; he would write his name in history as a winner of the G1 Caulfield Guineas and now serves at Highview Stud in New Zealand after beginning his career at Aquis Farm in Queensland, Australia.

On the track

Proisir was sent into training with Gai Waterhouse, and although limited to a career of only seven starts, the colt had plenty of admirers.

Unbeaten in his first three starts at Hawkesbury, Rosehill and Newcastle in the G3 Spring S., winning by 6l, prompting jockey Nash Rawiller to say, “I think you've seen an unbelievable animal here today.

“He has come a long way in a short time and I'd suggest that people keep following him.”

The victory set up Proisir to clash with the star ‘Kiwi’ Dundeel (NZ) in the G1 Spring Champion S. at Randwick.

The son of Choisir tested Dundeel the length of the Randwick straight before the future six-time Group 1 winner got the better of him by a short-neck.

The victory caught the eye of Rich Hill Stud’s Managing Director John Thompson, “I had followed Dundeel when he went over to Australia to contest the Spring Champion S., and Proisir really caught my attention because he gave Dundeel such a run for his money.”

Waterhouse would then throw Proisir in the deep end at start five, taking on established weight-for-age stars in the 2012 G1 WS Cox Plate. The eventual winner Ocean Park (NZ) was a dominant weight-for-age horse; Proisir’s star stablemates Pierro and More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}), the multiple Group 1 winner All Too Hard and Green Moon (Ire) who would win the G1 Melbourne Cup at his next start, were in the field - it was packed with quality from top to bottom. Nobody would have blamed the colt for shying at the task.

“To run in a Cox Plate in his preparation was just unreal. Proisir ran super behind Ocean Park, Pierro and All Too Hard. It was a strong generation across the board, and as a 3-year-old Proisir was amongst the best of them.”

Proisir returned in the autumn with the world seemingly at his feet. He was third in the G2 Hobartville S. behind Pierro and Rebel Dane before starting in the G1 Randwick Guineas, where he again pushed Dundeel to be runner-up but beat home the likes of Ferlax (NZ) and Sacred Falls (NZ).

Retired to stud

Tragedy would strike and Proisir was subsequently sidelined by injury, and after a rehabilitation period he joined Peter and Paul Snowden's stable. He trialled brilliantly in late 2014, but a decision was made to retire him after a recurrence of the injury.

“Proisir disappeared for a little while after that brilliant preparation and that injury. I never thought any more of it. Things keep moving in this game.

“Then I got a call from a bloodstock agent named Michael Otto who suggested the horse could be bought as a stallion prospect. I recalled the name and performance of the Spring Champion. Before running Spendthrift Australia, Garry Cuddy was a bloodstock agent, he was also involved and recommended the horse.

“So, I hopped on a plane and flew to Australia to meet Proisir’s owner Tony Falcone and well that was that,” said Thompson.

“I liked the horse, and he ticked the boxes. Proisir’s form, albeit being lightly raced, had a lot of positives, so we bought and syndicated him.”

Proisir was sent to Rich Hill Stud in the famed Waikato district and stood his debut season at NZ$7000 plus GST.

Proisir would serve 150 mares resulting in 92 live foals.

“Proisir started at NZ$7000 and got 150 mares, but they weren’t the blue-blood mares, understandably from that fee.”

However, from that debut crop emerged Levante (NZ), Belle Plaisir (NZ), Aimee’s Jewel (NZ) and Riodini (NZ) notably.

Although Levante has become a four-time Group 1 winner and won 12 races and will sell as a much-anticipated Lot 585 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast later this month, it was Riodini who made Godolphin Australia’s Managing Director Vin Cox take notice initially.

Cox senses Proisir could be a rare stallion

Riodini was a bold front-running gelding who suited the training style of Gai Waterhouse perfectly; the gelding was a five-time winner, including the G3 Bonecrusher S. and the $1 million The Gong. However, he was placed in the G1 George Main S., making the Champion mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) chase him down, and it then took the gun mares in Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and Funstar (Adelaide {Ire}) to deny him the G1 Epsom H.

Cox told TDN AusNZ, “The horse named Riodini that Gai trained, although he never won a Group 1, was just a very good and tough horse. When a horse piques your interest, then you start scratching around and ask yourself, ‘how good is this stallion?’.

“Do the results really put a blip on the radar? At that stage, not really. But after this season, you sit down and analyse the statistics as a whole and where he’s come from; you realise he is one of the best-value stallions in Australasia, even at his increased fee this year.”

Cox is referring to the 2022/23 season that has seen the progeny of Proisir come to the fore across Australasia.

Dark Destroyer (NZ), bred from Proisir’s third crop, became a Group 1 winner in the G1 Tarzino S., while Yonce (NZ) from Proisir’s second crop was fourth in the G1 Queen of the Turf S.

However, the results from the fourth crop born in 2019 are lighting up the racecourse.

Pier (NZ) and Legarto (NZ) provided Proisir with a clean sweep of the Group 1 of the Guineas in New Zealand when Pier became a G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and G2 Hawkesbury Guineas winner, while Legarto claimed the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and capped an excellent preparation with a victory in the G1 Australian Guineas, in addition to two other black-type wins.

Gallery: Group 1-winning progeny of Proisir

Tapildoodledo (NZ) was a strong winner of the G2 Tulloch S. during The Championships in Sydney. Arby (NZ) claimed the G3 Manawatu Classic and looks to be a strong chance in the G1 Queensland Derby should he head in that direction.

Then we come to the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained Prowess (NZ); she was already hailed a star in her native land, beating the older horses in the G1 New Zealand S. and three other black-type events. She was sent to Sydney to contest the G1 Vinery Stud S. and in a performance that will be remembered, she gave the ‘Aussies’ a galloping lesson, prompting co-trainer Roger James to declare her ‘the best he’s ever trained’ and a filly he’s waited 40 years to find.

It brings Proisir’s current stats to 329 live foals for 227 runners, 143 winners of 394 races, 27 stakes-performed horses and 13 stakes winners.

What makes Proisir stand out?

TDN AusNZ asked Thompson what makes Proisir and his progeny so good? “There’s a couple of things; firstly, Proisir is a very well-conformed horse, he’s correct, and he has a lot of quality. I have always said he has the strength of Choisir, who was a brilliant stallion and the quality of Encosta De Lago; there is a lot of genetic power in those two names.

“He has a wonderful temperament - it’s a real key, I think. And his stock has inherited that great nature.

“As well known, a lot of his good horses that are running now aren't blue-blooded or full of Group 1 winners, but they are quality horses, beautiful types.”

At only 13 years old and with plenty of upside and ammunition to fire in the coming years, it should be no surprise why Godolphin Australia wanted to get involved.

“It’s fairly simple, Godolphin and Darley are a racing and breeding operation. We send groups of mares out every season to outside stallions, and we put mares on planes to go to the Northern Hemisphere as we did last year,” Cox explained.

“In the past, we have supported our own stallions in New Zealand - Contributer, Complacent, Sweynesse, etc. When you see a horse like Proisir emerge and his success - it lights up the board in terms of statistics, and then a breeding right comes up at such a young age. It’s still very early in this stallion's career. It’s an opportunity not to be scoffed at.”

As stated earlier, Godolphin Australia successfully bid $400,000 for the breeding right sold at the 2023 Inglis Chairman’s Sale on Thursday.

“The price of $400,000, given where he’s at in his career, is the upper limit. That is what people were prepared to pay, so were we. That tells you what a share is worth.”

Before becoming a breeding right holder, Darley Australia was looking to support Proisir as Thompson shared with TDN AusNZ, “I have known the guys from Godolphin for a long time, Vin Cox and Alastair Pulford (head of stallions) for a long time. Alastair rang me a few weeks ago and asked if they could book two mares into Proisir, I said, ‘That will be fine’, but then he asked for a third mare, and I had to say he’s pretty full, and I can’t guarantee a third mare.

“Now they’ve bought a right I jokingly said, you can definitely send that third mare now.”

And with one of the strongest broodmare bands anywhere in the world, TDN AusNZ asked Cox if there were any plans in cement which mares would visit Proisir, “We haven’t decided what we will send him yet. We have the time and slots booked.

“It’s exciting, we have a very strong broodmare band, and a lot of our broodmare barn will be able to go to the horse because he is largely an outcross to our mares. You look at many of our successful stallions here - Street Cry, Exceed And Excel (although that would be doubling on Danehill there), Medaglia D’Oro and Shamardal, etc., our important bloodlines could work very well with him. Proisir will match up with almost our entire broodmare population.

“Proisir is on the rise, and in my view, he is one of the best value Australasian stallions, the other being Darley’s Astern.”

Thompson is over the moon at the reception Proisir is receiving, “We will probably restrict Proisir to 150 this season. We will look after him. We are just in the process of finalising what mares will be locked in. But I can say there is definitely going to be a big step up in quality to what he has previously served.”

What does Vin Cox hope Proisir will give back to the organisation? “Proisir is such a versatile horse, he has sired Group 1 sprint winners, Guineas winners, and Group 1 weight-for-age winners. We would be rapt if Darley could breed a Group 1 winner and Godolphin race and train any of those in two or three years.

“Whether it’s a colt or filly, or gelding for that matter, but certainly a colt or a filly, and competing in a race that holds those titles, you are running at a very elite level.

“We are just thrilled and hopefully get a massive benefit and journey through the rest of Proisir’s career and life.”

Thompson finishes by saying, “I am just very proud of the job Proisir has done.”