Photo: Kenton Wright, Race Images
The solitary New Zealand blacktype race last Saturday was the Tauranga Classic (Listed, 1400m) for fillies and mares and the winner Casino Princess (Casino Prince) represents a wonderful old family. Although, it has been some time, more than 30 years, since black-type within the first three generations of this branch of her family has occurred.
Casino Princess is building a healthy record. Saturday's stakes breakthrough was just her 11th start and fifth success. Her owners, which include her trainer Cliff Goss, have been mighty patient with the mare. She did not race at two and her first appearance resulted in an unplaced effort, experiencing a chequered run for seventh. She was briefly put aside, returning in the March of her three-year-old career.
On a Heavy 10 track at Tauranga, her home course, that day she spreadeagled the field to bolt in by more than seven lengths but her next start, a few weeks later at Matamata, resulting in a narrow win, was equally impressive as she had to switch ground several times for a run before lunging late for the victory.
One year and one day later, back at Matamata, she won again, this time taking over at the top of the straight then dared to be headed to win comfortably by a length, completing her second season, a three time winner in four starts.
This season as a five-year-old she raced twice in the spring but at her second start bled, forcing a compulsory stand-down and did not reappear until four months ago, finishing a game third. Mid March saw her second, beaten a long head at her home course followed by another second, this time at Te Rapa where her rider lost her whip at the 300 metre mark. Last month at Rotorua she added win four, again took the lead soon after straightening and held on well.
Saturday's win was as easy as any of her wins so far. Caught wide soon after the jump rider Jasmine Fawcett was forced to go forward before they reached the end of the back straight. Sitting outside the leader to the 500 metres they took over upon reaching the home straight and had the race in safe keep inside the 200 metres. Second was Group 1 placed Malt Time (Adelaide).
Provided the mare remains out of trouble there is the September target of the Tarzino Trophy (Gr 1, 1400m) at Hastings to look forward to. Perhaps the one doubt is whether she will perform as well on top of the ground as all her wins have been on soft or heavy surfaces. Hastings in September might be kind to her.
Casino Princess is one of two winners from her dam Sonsy (Thorn Park), twice a winner including at Te Rapa. Her granddam, Flowing (Straight Strike), ranks as a half-sister to Rural Prince (Terreno), a Grafton Cup (Listed, 2300m) winner who raced during the late 1980s, the next most recent black-type winner. Rural Prince recorded a third in the Great Northern Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) when in New Zealand and added a third in the Newcastle Gold Cup (Gr 2, 2300m).
Rural Prince's dam, the unraced Floral Queen (Adios), may provide part of the clue as to why Casino Princess is so adept on rainaffected tracks as she is a three-quarter sister to one of the best wet-trackers of his era, namely Greek Meer (Adios). Greek Meer, a Group 3 winner at Avondale won 13 times and his other wins included Trentham's premier winter mile, the Whyte Handicap (Listed, 1600m), a race he won twice. Another was the top winter staying race at Trentham, the Parliamentary Handicap (Listed 2200m).
The next generation is better known as Floral Queen's half-sister was Group 3 and twice Listed winner Summer Fleur (Sovereign Edition), the dam of Melbourne Cup victress Empire Rose (Sir Tristram). Greek Meer's dam is a three-quarter sister to Group 2 winner Sweet Wren (Able Seaman), ancestress of Grosvenor (Sir Tristram), Lankan Rupee (Redoute's Choice) and Lonhro (Octagonal).
