Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images)
Off the back of a lucrative result at Karaka, Mark and Jane Corcoran’s Grangewilliam Stud will be chasing another top outcome on the track this weekend.
A son of Proisir was the headline act of their small Book 1 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and the farm will be hoping to make another top impression with Utopian Wine at New Plymouth on Saturday.
Bred by Mark’s father John, the Proisir colt will in time be heading offshore after he was knocked down to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for $325,000.
“That was a very good result, he was a really nice type and will go through the Hong Kong Sale,” Mark Corcoran said.
“I put a figure of $200,000 on him and we had a reserve of $150,000 so we were all pretty happy with what he made.”
The youngster is out of the Swiss Ace mare Secret Spirit, who won four races including the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m).
She was also successful three times at Listed level in the Great Northern Foal Stakes (1400m), Ryder Stakes (1200m) and the O’Leary’s Fillies’ Stakes (1200m) with her third dam the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Daria’s Fun.
“We sold a Derryn colt out of the mare last year for $95,000 to Shane Crawford and he thinks he’s a very good horse,” Corcoran said.
“She had another Derryn colt last year and is in foal to our new horse Hilal.”
The Group-winning son of Fastnet Rock stood his first season in 2024 and among his full book was Utopian Wine, who will run in Saturday’s Gr.3 Dennis Wheeler Earthmoving Taranaki Cup (1800m).
The daughter of Pierro was a two-time winner for Chris Waller before she was purchased by Mark and John Corcoran for A$70,000 when offered last year via an Inglis Digital Sale.
“We were looking for some nice young mares to send to him and she’s out of a Group-winning sister to Stratum, who was obviously a Golden Slipper (Gr.1, 1200m) winner,” Corcoran said.
Utopian Wine is trained by Bill Thurlow and posted consecutive wins at Trentham and Otaki before she was unplaced, but only three lengths off the winner in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m).
“To be honest, racing her was only an afterthought,” Corcoran said.
“We put her in foal and Bill watched her last race (in Sydney) with me and said we should put her back in work, so it’s worked out really well and she’s given us a bit of fun.
“She might get one more chance after this one and we thought we’d have another crack at getting some black type for her.
“Kavish Chowdhoory will ride her and she’s a mare that likes to get out wide with plenty of space so hopefully she’ll get out into the clear this time and wind up."
