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Aimee’s Jewel sparkles in Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes

The Rich Hill Stud-based sire Proisir (Choisir) was handed his third stakes winner on Wednesday as the Trudy Keegan-trained Aimee’s Jewel (4 m ex Aimee's Idol by Colombia) took out the Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Riccarton. 

The lightly-raced four-year-old mare was having only the fifth start of her career and first stakes level, but she had no issues with the step up in class, beating Irish Girl (El Roca) - who is out of a half-sister to the winner - by half a length. Excelleration (Exceed And Excel) was the same distance away in third. 

Keegan said that the mare could now be aimed at the Captain Cook Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on December 5. 

“It’s amazing, I can’t breathe and I have been told to settle down,” Keegan said.

“I was thinking ‘wow Lisa, you’re brave’ as she was riding for luck. Lisa knows how good she is, that is why she was there. 

“She is not just special to me, she is special to a lot of people. She has just got that something extra.

“We have had to keep upping her work to keep ahead of her, she has been so above herself and so long as she comes through this, we may go to the Captain Cook Stakes.”

Bred by Suncroft Bloodstock, the mare was purchased by Troy Pannell for NZ$10,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka May Sale. 

Aimee’s Jewel is out of Listed winner Aimee's Idol (Colombia), who is a three-quarter sister to Listed winner Ready To Strike (Colombia), further back this is the same family as Group 2 scorer Heavenly Knight (Celestial Dancer). 

Aimee’s Idol produced fillies by Vanburgh (Encosta De Lago) in both 2018 and 2019.

Aimee’s Jewel joins Riodini and Vitesse Bo as Proisir’s other stakes winners and he is standing at Rich Hill Stud for a fee of NZ$9,000 (plus GST).