Grand Prospect's connections rewarded for patience with maiden win

Grand Prospect finally breaks through for his maiden win at the Ōtaki-Maori meeting last week.

A Foxton horse has rewarded his connections for their perseverance and patience when he finally broke through for a maiden win last week.

Grand Prospect had always shown promise and despite running some mighty races in a 25-start career, there had always been a horse or two finishing in front of him.

Since his debut in 2019, the six-year-old gelding had managed three second placings, five thirds, four fourths and three fifths.

Grand Prospect was trained at Foxton each morning by Sue Walsh, who saddled him up to win at the Ōtaki-Māori race meeting last week.

Walsh shares in the ownership of Grand Prospect with Bruce Gregory, and Dave and Carol Marner.

Grand Prospect pictured with jockey Ashvin Mudhoo and trainer Sue Walsh prior to his maiden win at Ōtaki.

"Harry, as he's known around the stable, has always shown us that he has ability or we wouldn't have kept him," she said.

"The owners deserved this as well as the horse, and hopefully he goes on with it."

With the heavy rainfall making the tracks sodden this winter, Walsh had done much of the work along the sands of Foxton Beach.

"He settles a lot better out there, and he thrives out there as well," she said.

"Where he starts next, the horse will let us know when he's ready."

"It's a relief that Harry got his win today, as we've used different items of gear at various times, and still have a few up our sleeves to try as well."

"With his antics at times, he goes well for the senior track rider who rides him."

Walsh gave some of the kudos to her partner Bruce Gregory, who rode Grand Prospect each morning and spends a lot of time tending to the horse.

"He rides him regularly, and loves the horse tremendously, and spends lots of hours with him,"

"To be quite honest, Harry wouldn't have done what he's done without the hours of attention from Bruce."

Grand Prospect was ridden by Levin jockey Ashvin Mudhoo, who said the horse continued to improve his racing manners.

A smiling Ashvin Mudhoo unsaddles Grand Prospect after his win at Ōtaki last week.

"He's a good horse to ride now than last year when I rode him," he said.

"The horse did everything. When we jumped from the gates, we were one off from the rail, so we didn't get blocked in there, and stuck behind another runner."

"When we were going down the back straight we started to move up and around the other runners to be handy. When we turned into the home straight he tried to lug in a bit, and I had to correct him, and the horse did it brave and easy as."

Grand Prospect is well bred, being a half-brother to champion mare and Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant, who was trained in Sydney by Chris Waller.

In what was heartbreaking news within the industry, their dam Opulence died while foaling a healthy filly at Grangewilliam Stud in Whanganui at the weekend.

Opulence, 17, was crowned New Zealand Broodmare of the Year for the second consecutive season at the New Zealand Breeding Awards last month.

Veterinarians did everything they could to save the mare, who died of internal bleeding en route to Massey University surgical clinic.

A post-mortem revealed she had ruptured a uterine artery and had an internal haemorrhage.

The foal had since been paired up with a foster mare and was doing well.

Opulence also has a yearling full brother to Verry Elleegant, expected to be offered for public sale early next year.