Stakes-Winning Graduate Prioress Returns to Gavelhouse.com

Two years after securing her stable star Prioress from gavelhouse.com, Foxton trainer Suzy Gordon is putting the multiple black-type performer back on the online platform.

Prioress is part of the latest 39 Lot fortnightly auction on gavelhouse.com, which is currently open for bidding with the first lot closing at 7pm NZT on Monday 14 September.

Gordon paid $7,250 to buy Prioress from the 19 August 2024 auction on gavelhouse.com. At that stage, the daughter of Proisir had won four times in a 41-race career and had earned $146,320.

From 20 starts for Gordon, Prioress has added another three wins, eight placings and $163,902 in stakes – more than 22 times her purchase price. She now has an overall career record of 61 starts for seven wins, 21 placings and $310,222 in stakes.

The highlights came in July and August of this year. Prioress ventured to New Plymouth on 18 July and gave Gordon her first black-type training success with an irresistible finishing burst in the $120,000 Listed Opunake Cup (1400m). For good measure, she beat her stablemate and fellow gavelhouse.com graduate Turn The Ace.

Two weeks later on 1 August, Prioress produced another powerful finish to cross the line in third place in the $110,000 Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton.

“She’s done such a great job,” Gordon said.

“Having her give me my first stakes win in the Opunake Cup was an obvious highlight, and she was probably a bit unlucky in the Winter Cup after that as well. She just got held up at a crucial stage at the top of the straight, but it was still a huge run to finish third and she did us proud.

“She’s just tweaked a suspensory, so that’s the reason why we’ve decided to put her up for sale now as a breeding prospect. It’s nothing major, but she’s eight now and doesn’t really have anything more to prove.

“She’s a lovely, lovely all-round mare. She’s a big girl with huge bone, she’s jet black and has a wonderful nature. I have no doubt that she’ll make a lovely mum.”