Racing: Prowess shows her prowess

Prowess after winning the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) at Pukekohe on Saturday. Photo / Kirstin Ledington

The $1 million Karaka Mile was billed as a two-horse race, but Prowess can’t count.

The exciting Cambridge filly last night downed the superstars of her crop in Wild Night (second) and Legarto (fourth), with the glamour gallopers split in third by Desert Lightning.

But while she didn’t go into the race with the hype of the favourites, Prowess emerged as a special filly, kept out of trouble by Warren Kennedy who then pushed the button at the right time to put a winning break on Wild Night.

Legarto, who was never really in clear air back and on the inside, unwound late for fourth but by then the race was over.

Prowess’s win was about her crucial weapon, speed — the ability to use it early and then again late, the sort of weapon that should make her a Group 1 winner in the near future.

She has already won the Auckland Guineas this summer and surely Australia must beckon at some stage.

Her huge performance was just the latest massive three-year-old win in the career of senior training partner Roger James, who trains Prowess with Robert Wellwood.

While James will go down as one of our great three-year-old trainers, Wellwood has brought his own brand of energy to the stable and they are now stacking up the big three-year-old races together, having captured the Queensland Derby with Pinarello last June.

“Winning a Group 1, like we did a couple of times last season, is special but tonight was something else,” said Wellwood.

“This was one of the best three-year-old races we have seen in New Zealand in years and she has had to beat a lot of good horses and two genuine stars.

“So that makes it extra special, to beat the best and show that she may be a great filly herself.”

Prowess’s win continued a stunning season for her sire Proisir, who stands at Rich Hill Stud who also stand Satono Aladdin, who sired two-year-old Karaka Million winner Tokyo Tycoon.

● The Boys Get Paid punters club lost more than $500,000 yesterday.

The biggest punters club in New Zealand history saw Boys Get Paid founder Luke Kemeys and his experts start the six-race Karaka Million card with $1,050,000 and they finished the day with just over $500,000.

“We had one of those days,” said Kemeys. “It’s frustrating but that is the punt.”