Proisir claims Grosvenor Award

Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir was celebrated as the winner of the Grosvenor Award at the Property Brokers National Breeding Awards on Saturday night, with the title effectively secured despite three race days remaining in the New Zealand season.

The Grosvenor Award is presented to the leading stallion by total progeny earnings in New Zealand during the racing season. Proisir has amassed $4,482,497 in domestic progeny earnings from 50 winners and 116 runners, giving him an unassailable lead over perennial premiership rival Savabeel.

While three meetings remain before the season concludes, Savabeel has just a solitary runner engaged in a Benchmark 72 at Cambridge on Wednesday, leaving no realistic avenue to overhaul Proisir’s advantage.

It is the second time Proisir has claimed the Grosvenor Award, having first won the domestic sires’ premiership in 2022-23 before finishing runner-up to the legendary Savabeel in each of the past two seasons.

Rich Hill Stud principal John Thompson said winning the title fulfilled one of the greatest ambitions held by anyone entering the stallion business.

“When you go into the business of standing stallions, you secretly hope your horse could one day be a champion sire,” Thompson said.

“He is a stallion that just continues to produce winners. Look at Saturday just gone, he had a winner at Randwick and Eagle Farm within a matter of minutes.”

Proisir’s domestic season was spearheaded by dual Group One winners Legarto and Waitak.

Rich Hill was not the only stud to be recognised among the stallion awards. Little Avondale Stud’s Per Incanto completed a remarkable season by claiming both the Centaine Award, presented to New Zealand’s leading sire by worldwide progeny earnings, and the Dewar Award, recognising the country’s leading sire by combined progeny earnings across New Zealand and Australia.