Proisir regains Grosvenor Award as New Zealand's champion sire
Rich Hill Stud's Proisir was celebrated as the winner of the Grosvenor Award at the Property Brokers National Breeding Awards on Saturday night, with the title effectively secured despite three race days remaining in the New Zealand season.
The Grosvenor Award is presented to the leading stallion by total progeny earnings in New Zealand during the racing season. Proisir has amassed $4,482,497 in domestic progeny earnings from 50 winners and 116 runners, giving him an unassailable lead over perennial premiership rival Savabeel.
While three meetings remain before the season concludes, Savabeel has just a solitary runner engaged in a Benchmark 72 at Cambridge on Wednesday, leaving no realistic avenue to overhaul Proisir's advantage.
It is the second time Proisir has claimed the Grosvenor Award, having first won the domestic sires' premiership in 2022-23 before finishing runner-up to the legendary Savabeel in each of the past two seasons.
Rich Hill Stud principal John Thompson said winning the title fulfilled one of the greatest ambitions held by anyone entering the stallion business.
“When you go into the business of standing stallions, you secretly hope your horse could one day be a champion sire,” Thompson said.
“He is a stallion that just continues to produce winners. Look at Saturday just gone, he had a winner at Randwick and Eagle Farm within a matter of minutes.”
Proisir's domestic season was spearheaded by dual Group One winners Legarto and Waitak.
Legarto claimed both the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes and Gr.1 New Zealand Stakes over 2000 metres, taking her career earnings to $3,163,129. Waitak captured the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile and Gr.1 Livamol Classic, while also finishing runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand Stakes and Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes.
“When you are standing a stallion, it is very important to have progeny that are Group One winners,” Thompson said.
“Waitak was actually bred by my wife's uncle, the late Colin Devine, and he's out of a Shocking mare who is obviously one of our other stallions, so he is a pretty special horse to follow.
“He is just an iron horse who keeps fronting up week after week. He is going as good as ever and he will be back next season.”
Proisir's other leading New Zealand performers included Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes winner Fairy Dream, Listed Opunake Cup winner Prioress and Group One placegetter Pier.
His consistency was again underlined during the final weekend of the season, when his progeny recorded four victories across Australasia.
Leovanni completed a winning hat-trick in the A$120,000 TAB Highway Plate at Randwick, while Group-winning gelding Tapildoodledo returned to form over 2200 metres at Eagle Farm. Promising two-year-old Glide won the Jack Maher Classic at Wodonga and Koro Princess became Proisir's 50th individual New Zealand winner of the season with victory at Te Aroha.
Thompson believes the best may still be ahead for the son of Choisir, who began his stud career at a modest fee.
“Proisir started at $7,000, his best crops are rising three-year-olds and rising two-year-olds that will have come from far better-quality mares, so the best is definitely still to come,” he said.
The success of Proisir has also been closely linked with Philip Brown and Ancroft Stud, breeders of his multiple Group One-winning daughters Levante and Legarto.
“Philip Brown and Ancroft Stud have been a special part of this journey, starting with Levante and then Legarto,” Thompson said.
“He reckons he has a couple more up-and-comers on the way by Proisir as well, so let’s hope he’s right.”
Rich Hill was not the only stud to be recognised among the stallion awards. Little Avondale Stud's Per Incanto completed a remarkable season by claiming both the Centaine Award, presented to New Zealand's leading sire by worldwide progeny earnings, and the Dewar Award, recognising the country's leading sire by combined progeny earnings across New Zealand and Australia.
