Valuable Australian Group win for Proisir Mare Belle Plaisir

Media Release - Saturday May 21

On the anniversary of her first stakes win in last year’s Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m), classy New Zealand mare Belle Plaisir doubled her black-type tally with a powerful come-from-behind performance in Saturday’s Gr.3 R A Lee Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville.

Belle Plaisir dashes along the rail to win the Gr.3 R A Lee Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville Photo Credit: Atkins Photography

A four-time winner from 19 New Zealand starts from the Awapuni stable of her part-owner Lucy Tanner, the daughter of Proisir was partially sold to Kildalton Park Racing last spring and crossed the Tasman to join the stable of Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

She has wasted no time in making her presence felt in Australia, never finishing further back than fifth in six starts to date. Along with a win at Oakbank and a placing at Cranbourne, she also finished fourth in the Gr.2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville, fourth in the Gr.3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) at Flemington and fifth in the Listed Black Pearl Stakes (1200m) at Geelong.

Advertisement

But it was Saturday’s R A Lee Stakes at Morphettville that provided the black-type success Belle Plaisir’s trans-Tasman connections had been craving.

Given a ground-saving rails run by jockey Barend Vorster, Belle Plaisir came from second-last with a determined surge down the straight. Cherry Tortoni loomed ominously out wide and appeared to be travelling the better of the two, but Belle Plaisir rose to his challenge and held him out in a driving finish.

Adding to the New Zealand flavour of the race, the fast-finishing third placegetter Excelida races in the colours of Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay.

Tony McEvoy has been delighted with Belle Plaisir’s performances since her arrival in Australia.

“God bless her – she’s a really good little mare who came over from New Zealand,” he said. “Lucy Tanner and her co-owner (Lance Hickman) sent her over to us, and she’s raced really well for us. To win a Group Three with this mare today is very special.

“She was a Listed winner in New Zealand and also had form around some good-quality horses who had come across to Australia and run well, so we knew that she had what it took.”

The stable will now consider a trip to Queensland for the A$500,000 Magic Millions National Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm on June 4.

“She still, to this day, hasn’t had track conditions to really suit her in Australia,” McEvoy said. “She loves getting into the ground, and it just hasn’t rained enough, so we’ll see – we might take her north.

“It’s raining a lot up there, and there’s a fillies and mares’ race worth half a million dollars in a fortnight, so we’ll just see how she comes through this and then try to get her up there.”

Belle Plaisir was bred by Fairdale Stud’s Duncan Fell and was offered in Book 2 of Karaka 2018, where Lance Hickman secured her for $32,000. Saturday’s win, the sixth of her 25-start career, raised her career earnings to A$226,566.

Belle Plaisir added to a strong recent run in Australia for Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir, who was also represented by last week’s Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2143m) winner Dark Destroyer. – NZ Racing Desk

Visit the profile page for Proisir

Proisir in upcoming sales:
Advertisment

Race Result - R A Lee Stakes Gr3 1600m

Morphettville Track: Good(4) Time: 1:35.82
1
Belle Plaisir
- 5m Proisir (AUS) x Eden (AUS) (Zeditave (AUS))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: B Vorster 53.5
2
0.1
Cherry Tortoni
- 4g Night Of Thunder (IRE) x Tortoni (AUS) (Strategic (AUS))
Tnr: Patrick Payne Rdr: M J Dee 57.5
3
2.9
Excelida
- 5m Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Lady Sayyida (NZ) (Iffraaj (GB))
Tnr: Ben & J D Hayes Rdr: Jamie Kah 53
4
4.6
Royal Mile
- 4g Danerich (AUS) x Street Blaze (AUS) (Street Sense (USA))
Tnr: L A Creek Rdr: Jacob Opperman 56.5
5
4.7
Struck By
- 4g Barbados (AUS) x Cheers Rihanna (AUS) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: Travis Doudle Rdr: P Gatt 55.5
6
5.3
Dalasan
- 5h Dalakhani (IRE) x Khandallah (AUS) (Kitten's Joy (USA))
Tnr: L Macdonald & A Gluyas Rdr: J Holder 55
7
9.3
Ritratto
- 5g Fiorente (IRE) x Family Portrait (AUS) (Excellent Art (GB))
Tnr: R W Huxtable Rdr: Jessica Eaton 55
8
9.9
One More Jack
- 6g Typhon (AUS) x Husson Spirit (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: T T Oxlade Rdr: J Potter 55.5
9
11.5
My Mate Sonny
- 5g Glass Harmonium (IRE) x Shady Jade (AUS) (Akhadan (AUS))
Tnr: Ms S Williams Rdr: Ms C Jones 55
10
12.0
Junipal
- 6g Reset (AUS) x Palatine Hill (AUS) (Palace Music (USA))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: John Allen 56.5
11
13.6
Danish Fortune
- 4g Magnus (AUS) x Footsteps Of God (AUS) (Blackfriars (AUS))
Tnr: W T Wilkes Rdr: Will Price 55
12
13.8
Countofmontecristo
- 8g Echoes Of Heaven (AUS) x Replicate (NZ) (Towkay (AUS))
Tnr: Travis Doudle Rdr: D Tourneur 55
13
16.4
Farooq
- 6g Frankel (GB) x Rostova (AUS) (Testa Rossa (AUS))
Tnr: Ms S Murphy Rdr: D Moor 55
More Reading...
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Coolmore Set Justify Fee for 2025
Coolmore have announced the US fee for Justify in 2025 with the undefeated Triple Crown winner priced at $US250,000 to head  their roster of 16 stallions at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Melbourne Cup Pedigree Analysis - Do It Yourself
Breednet has produced a great page with click through to five generation pedigrees for all the Melbourne Cup runners, so for amateur pedigree buffs looking to have a Cup flutter based pedigree here’s your chance  to DIY it!
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.