Well-bred filly too good

6 November 2014

Gracehill showed she had inherited a good measure of the family ability with a perfect debut performance at Tauranga on Saturday.

It was in fact the same meeting that her black-type dam Irish Colleen debuted for success at some seven years earlier.

A trial winner last month, the three-year-old finished off determinedly to win over 1400 metres at the first time of asking.

Prepared by Roger James, she is a daughter of O’Reilly and the first foal of the Shinko King mare Irish Colleen. She was the winner of seven races, including the Gr 2 Concorde Handicap and the Listed Rotorua Stakes.

A direct female descendant of the former champion Australian mare Maybe Mahal, Gracehill was purchased by James out of WS’s Select Sale consignment in 2013. The Cambridge trainer also bought her brother for the same price at Karaka earlier this year.

Test

8 January 2025

Bonny result for glamour mare

Bonneval, a two-time Horse of the Year, starred on the track with seven wins, including Group 1 victories in the New Zealand and Australian Oaks. Now flourishing as a broodmare for Garry Chittick, her first foal Mary Eliza claimed a strong win at Mornington, showcasing Bonneval’s continued influence in racing.