Prowess suffers further spring setback
Friday was supposed to mark a significant step forward in the spring preparation of Prowess, a multiple Group One winner. However, instead of progress, it brought another frustrating setback for her connections.
Earlier, an abscess had forced Prowess, the daughter of Proisir, to withdraw from her initial first-up target, the prestigious Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) in Melbourne.
Nevertheless, she quickly recovered from that setback, and her trial at Taupo on Friday was intended to be her launchpad toward a potential comeback in the Group 3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Hawera on October 7.
But now, all the carefully laid spring plans are once again uncertain.
Trainer James shared the frustrating turn of events, saying, “She’d trotted up perfectly last night, but when she walked out of her box this morning she was slightly lame. We’ve since had the farrier come and look at her, and we quickly found the issue.”
While the issue isn’t considered a major concern, James expressed his annoyance, stating, “It’s nothing of any great concern, and I’d probably say there’s every chance that she’ll work tomorrow. But it’s just one of those frustrating things…today’s trial was so important for getting her campaign back on track.”
James remains optimistic about Prowess’s future, hoping that they can get things back on course within the next few days.
However, for now, it’s a situation of uncertainty, and he concluded, “Hopefully, we can start to pick things up again with her within the next couple of days, but for now, all I can say is watch this space.”
Prowess had shone brightly in a remarkable group of New Zealand three-year-olds last season, with an impressive record of six wins in eight starts.
Her victories included races such as the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in Sydney, the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m) against older horses at weight-for-age at Pukekohe, the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), the Group 2 Auckland Guineas (1600m), and the Group 2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m).
These outstanding achievements led to her being crowned the Champion Middle Distance Horse (1601-2200m) for the 2022-23 season at the recent New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards in Auckland.