There were celebrations at Eagle Farm and in Japan when classy mare Palaisipan bowed out of racing with a Group One victory in today’s Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
It was a milestone win with the horse, trainer and jockey notching their first Group One victories in their respective disciplines.
For Chris Munce today’s breakthrough success at the elite level was his first as a trainer following a riding career that netted 35 in the saddle.
It was fitting the success would be with a horse Munce found and purchased as a yearling – he went to $40,000 to buy Palaisipan from the Gooree Park Stud draft at the 2020 Gold Coast National Yearling Sale.
She was sold as part of a reduction sale for the Estate of the Late Eduardo Cojuangco and was raced by a group of stable clients before a recent private deal saw her sale to Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm.
“You’ve got no idea of the emotions I’m feeling at the moment,” Munce said. “It’s the ride of a lifetime with a mare like her. We paid nothing for her, she’s been all up and down the east coast for us and performed at the top level in every race she competed in.”
“She came back here and the Yoshida conglomerate liked her and wanted to buy her. So, reluctantly, we accepted their offer. I said to all the owners ‘she’s at the right age, she’s been a wonderful mare, she’s had a fantastic career’.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’m so overwhelmed at the moment because so much goes into these horses, to develop them.”
“She’s a wonderful mare, she’s going to have a great life as a broodmare with the top stallions and studs all over the world.”
“I knew whatever won the race today would have to be good to beat her because she improved out of sight from the Stradbroke.”
“She was basically pulled up in the Kingsford-Smith when she pulled a shoe, so she missed a very crucial run there and she was only half fit going into the Stradbroke, she still ran fourth.”
“I watched her work here on Tuesday morning and I went home and said ‘I don’t care what’s in the race, they’d want to be good to beat her on Saturday’.”
Winning rider Kyle Wilson-Taylor, who produced a stunning winning salute on the track, was beaming in the minutes after the race.
“I can’t believe it,” he said. “I’m on top of the world. I just can’t believe it. It just goes to show that if you want something in life and put in the hard work you can achieve it.”
“I can’t thank Chris and the connections enough. This is the greatest moment of my life so far.”
“I came across, I wasn’t taking any prisoners, and I was calling to get in and I got in,” Wilson-Taylor said of the run.
“Everyone was forgetting this mare. She’s so tough and I knew if she had a restful run early she was going to be there late, and she was.”
Palaisipan is a new Group One winner for her in form sire, Coolmore Stud based champion So You Think.
She is from the unraced Fastnet Rock mare Touch of Red – a daughter of Triscay Stakes winner Kiss from a Rose (Encosta de Lago) and three quarter sister to group winning sire Smart Missile.
It’s a famous Gooree Park Stud family with the likes Northern Meteor, Queen of the Hill, Surge Ahead and Rabbuka featuring in the pedigree.
Palaisipan was one of four individual stakes winners on the day sold by Magic Millions at the Gold Coast.
Zoukerette (I Am Invincible-Walk With Attitude) won the Listed Life Members Stakes for juveniles, Noah ‘n’ a Deel (Dundeel-Double Deel) won the Listed Gold Crown and Prince of Boom (Spirit of Boom-Dazzling Display) won the Group Three WJ Healy Stakes.
Winner: Palaisipan
Breeding: So You Think-Touch of Red (Fastnet Rock)
Breeder: Gooree Park Stud Pty Ltd
Race: Qld Tatt’s RC Tattersall’s Tiara G1 (1400m)
Sold for: $40,000
Sale: 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale
Vendor: Gooree Park Stud (Estate of the Late Eduardo Cojuangco)
Buyer: Munce Racing
Earnings: $1,116,900
Owner: K Yoshida
Trainer: Chris Munce (Eagle Farm)
