2024-25 season in review

Aug 1, 2025

There is one primary metric Proven Thoroughbreds uses to measure the success of a season, and it’s not the number of winners.

It’s the ratio of metropolitan winners to overall winners. Of our 60 winners in 2024-25, 42% (25) were in city company. As a yardstick, only around 10% of the racehorse population is good enough to win at this level.

In the 2023-24 season, our percentage of city winners was slightly higher at 43%.

This standard is important to maintain year on year as it is a reflection of how many horses under our management are not only bringing joy to their ownership groups but remaining financially viable long term.

Then there are stakes races where the prizemoney becomes even more lucrative. We had the good fortune of winning five stakes races and placing in four others last season.

Our total prizemoney for 2024-25 totalled $5,131,270. A far cry from our Everest winning season of $16,496,610 but was still our third highest season on record.

As always, results like these are not possible without our trainers and their staff, spelling farms, vets, farriers and of course loyal owners.

STAR PERFORMERS

IN FLIGHT

It takes an exceptional horse to win three consecutive stakes races in three different states. Her most recent win at Caulfield was visually stunning and puts her right in the picture for feature sprints during the spring and autumn next year.

PRIVATE EYE

What more can you say about this horse? Went around in his third Everest and got within 1.5 lengths of BELLA NIPOTINA. If you watch closely, he’s actually up alongside her soon after the winning post. Three starts later he blitzed his opposition in the Group 3 Festival Stakes and then came back in the winter for a first-up tilt at the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap and finished a gallant third as topweight. Think if we keep him around 1400m, there’s another big race in him still.

ACCREDITED

He was among our Ones To Watch in last season’s review article and it’s fair to say he’s delivered since, winning four metropolitan races and placing in two stakes events. Still very lightly-raced for a 6yo so doubt we’ve reached his ceiling yet. Could be a force over the summer.

FLYING BANDIT

Another horse that was in our list of horses to watch last year and he’s vindicated that early prediction with two impressive wins in metropolitan grade before graduating to stakes company with a Listed Wagga Cup victory in fast time. He’s being set for the Group 1 Metropolitan over 2400m in October and then who knows after that? Hopefully a trip to Melbourne.

KING’S SECRET

He’s had big shoes to fill from day one being PRIVATE EYE’s half-brother but boy he’s done a remarkable job. Claimed BOBS Horse Of The Year honours courtesy of a rampant winter that took in four wins from six starts. Not many Joe Pride-trained horses can do that in just their second racing preparation. Make no mistake, he’s going to write his own story this horse.

ONES TO WATCH

WILD THOUGHTS

Trainer Kerry Parker has had decent wraps on this horse so it was very satisfying to see him break his maiden in the most lucrative of ways by winning the $100,000 bonus cheque from Inglis last month. He was a month between runs going from 1300m to 1500m so one would think he’s going to have no problems getting out to a mile and maybe even 2000m which would open up many doors for him.

ELIVINA

She got very close to making the Group 1 Queensland Oaks field in just her first preparation which bodes well for her future. Clearly is a natural stayer and looks a genuine city class horse.

CHAMPAGNE LANE

She was our first 2yo runner for the season and duly got the cash at the Sunshine Coast. As a rule we aren’t in any hurry with our 2yos so when they do get to the races you can be confident they are ready for it. She’s been a natural from the start and was sensibly tipped out after her debut victory. With natural improvement, she could be a prospect for us over the summer.

SIRES ON FIRE

SUPER SETH


Waikato Stud

Clearly the most improved sire in Australia once his three-year-olds stepped out. Being bred on the HIGH CHAPARRAL sireline, his progeny were never going to light up the track as 2yos but doubt many expected his 3yos to come out and win three Group 1 races (LINEBACKER, FEROCE, MAISON LOUIS).

OLE KIRK

Bronwen Healy Photography

Champion first season sire by stakes winners and prizemoney from just 32 runners. He’s bred in the purple and has some very exciting 3yos for the new season. However unfortunately it looks like fertility problems are going to stymie his stud career.

BRUTAL


Newgate Farm

This is a sire that stood his first two seasons for $27,500 and $22,000 and now has a juvenile Group 1 winner (NEPOTISM) and a burgeoning roster of potential stakes class horses. Looks in for a big season.

RETIREES

THINK ABOUT IT

Nothing prepares you for the events that took place at Randwick on October 19 2024. Our Everest champion from 2023, THINK ABOUT IT, was racing in the Sydney Stakes at Randwick before tragedy struck, or so we thought. Coming around the home turn, THINK ABOUT IT staggered and then collapsed on the turf after a pulmonary haemorrhage. We were initially told he wouldn’t make it but miraculously, he got to his feet and walked off the track on his own. That scare was enough to never want to risk racing him again and so he was immediately retired. Fortunately, the THINK ABOUT IT story has a happy ending, he is now in the loving care of his former rider Sam Clipperton.

DONELEGANCE

She was no star as a racehorse, but DONELEGANCE has found her niche in the equestrian world, now being trained by one of Joe Pride’s work riders Kerry Morton for this year’s Equimillions event. We were represented by two of our retirees – SCALLOPINI and GREENSPAN – at last year’s Equimillions and we can’t wait to see how DONELEGANCE performs.

LOOKING AHEAD

The most exciting development in the new season will be having our first runners for Pakenham trainer Charlotte Littlefield. The first three acquisitions are now 2yos and there may also be some tried horses heading Charlotte’s way as the season unfolds.

Having access to as many types of races as possible is important for any racing operation. And our expansion into Victoria will allow for that. There are also practical benefits, as Joe Pride-trained mares IN FLIGHT and THE BLACK CLOUD were stabled with Charlotte during their stays in Melbourne over the winter.

In Sydney, we are hopeful that a newly galvanised Australian Turf Club board can move forward prosperously following the proposed Rosehill sale debacle. We fully support both Tim Hale and Caroline Searcy as the future of the club and wish them all the best.

Meanwhile the Queensland Government is currently undertaking an independent review of the state’s racing industry which will help shape its future and infrastructure. The outcome of this review will be presented to the Minister For Racing Tim Mander in “late 2025”.

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