3 minute read

Star filly Miss Jenni’s rapid rise to classic winner adds to the impact and lasting contribution High Chaparral has made to racing and breeding in Australia and New Zealand, some five years after his death in 2014.

Princess Jenni became the 23rd Group One winner for the late High Chaparral when she recorded a classy win in the $500,000 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville on Saturday.

An English and Irish Derby winner by Sadler’s Wells, High Chaparral began his southern hemisphere stud career at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand before joining the Coolmore roster in NSW.

Among his outstanding first southern hemisphere crop were four G1 winning colts including the 10-time G1 winner and sire So You Think.

Classic winners Monaco Consul, Shoot Out and Descarado also came out of his first crop and they were followed by Dundeel, the six-time G1 winner who is now one of Australasia’s leading young sires.

Princess Jenni, among the 128 stakes winners left by High Chaparral, was bought for $120,000 at the 2017 NZB Premier Sale at Karaka by Tony Ottobre and her original trainer Darren Weir. She is named after Ottobre’s late daughter Jenni who died from cancer in 2015.

The David Brideoake-trained filly has had just six starts for four wins and has earned over $514,000 prizemoney, having previously been successful in the G3 Alexandra Stakes at Moonee Valley.

Bred by the Sunlight Trust, Princess Jenni is the first named foal out of the Zabeel mare Glitzabeel, a five-time winner descending from the G2 winner Precious Glitter (Danehill), a half-sister to G3 winner Beauty Watch (Belong To Me) who finished third in the G1 Australasian Oaks.

Trainer Mick Price has a 2YO Tavistock half-sister to Princess Jenni while Glitzabeel has sicne produced a weanling filly by Power and is in foal to Turn Me Loose.

The classic influence of the great Zabeel was also evident in the Oaks as the runner-up Mirette, by Unencumbered, is a grand-daughter of the late champion.

• Choisir filly Music Bay upstaged her older rivals to win the G2 Queen of the South Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday.

Trained by Phillip Stokes, Music Bay is a daughter of three time winner Illicitly (Kaapstad) and is a half-sister to the Brisbane Cup winner Piachay (Danasinga) and G3 winner Utility (Flying Spur).

Her second dam Eastern Joy (Three Legs) won the G1 Easter Handicap in New Zealand.