It wasn’t surprising Mark was keeping an eye out for a likely son of Proisir at the Karaka Sales. And it looks as though he has found one.
Proisir is the boom sire of the moment in New Zealand and finding one at a reasonable price is not an easy task. In this case if breeding and looks are anything to go by Mark has succeeded.
His final bid was $120,000 but had his dam Ticket To Ride been as well known to North Islanders as she was in the south it may have been a different story.
Ticket to Ride won 9 races including the Canterbury Breeders Stakes a Group 3 event and this is her first foal. Her sire Shocking has also made a big impact on the local breeding scene.
Proisir was out the same year as Dundeel in Australia and was closest to him in two major events including the AJC Champion Stakes with subsequent stars such as Sacred Falls chasing. The remarkable thing about that was that it was a 2000m event whereas Proisir was a son of Choisir, the modern pioneer of Australian sprinters winning major events in England (he won two of them) and who went on to be a top sire back in Australia.
The other factor that may have swayed some bidders was that behind Ticket To Ride is largely European and American race form, this colt’s 3rd dam being a Sadlers Wells mare.
“Sir” has a double cross of the great Danehill in his makeup, Shocking being out of a Danehill mare while Choisir was by Danehill Dancer. Shocking was also by Street Cry the sire of several virtually world champion performers including Winx and the great American mare Zenyatta.
Yes this guy has a lot going for him and when he returns from his “in service course” with Danny Frye in about 6 weeks his progress will be followed with great interest.