Graeme Rogerson has watched on with pride as the progeny of Ferrando have begun to hit their straps of late, and even more so when his homebred filly, Prosper (NZ) (Ferrando), powered to victory on debut at Cambridge’s synthetic meeting on Wednesday.
Rogerson, who trained and part-owns Ferrando, has been a strong supporter of the Group One-performing son of Fast ‘N’ Famous since his arrival at Westbury Stud, with Prosper among his second crop of juveniles to race.
Prosper trialled twice in heavy track conditions before stepping out in the Group One Turf Bar MAAT Final 970, jumping a $15 hope with fellow juvenile Miss Moet All (Russian Revolution) dominating the market at $1.50.
Miss Moet All had designs on the early lead, speeding up to join Catoca (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and Beau Luca (NZ) (Embellish), while jockey Samantha Collett sat patiently in behind the hot tempo aboard Prosper, and the filly was travelling well as the field compressed into the home turn. Miss Moet All held on gamely down much of the home straight, but Prosper was just winding up and she stormed over the top short of the line to score by three-quarters of a length.
Rogerson held the filly in high regard prior to her debut and was pleased to see that on display with a $27,500 mid-week stake on offer.
“I think she’s a Classic filly, I really like her,” he said. “She’s trialled very well and has done everything we’ve asked of her.
“It was just getting to the end of the season and I thought, with the $25,000 MAAT races on, I would run her against the older horses, and she was too good. (The instructions were) to let her find her feet and she’ll go to the line, which she did. They went hard in front, and it was a good result.
“I bred her and I’ve sold 10 percent of her today, I’ll let my friends come into her now and after her next start, she should have quite a few owners.
“I think she’ll make a lovely three-year-old filly, she’s always shown a bit.”
Prosper is out of a Duelled mare Nouvelle Reine (NZ), with her granddam a stakes-performing two-year-old in Deautche Express (NZ).
The result comes during a strong period for Prosper’s young sire, with El Vaquero’s (NZ) (Ferrando) victory at Oamaru on Sunday, and Spandeedo (NZ) (Ferrando), an impressive last-start winner, currently sitting favourite for Saturday’s Listed Phils Electrical and Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Otaki.
“She’s making Ferrando look good, and I hope another of his (Spandeedo) can win the Ryder Stakes on Saturday,” Rogerson said. “Pitman’s horse (El Vaquero) is running in the three-year-old race at Riccarton on Saturday week as well.
“He’s going well, and he’s got some nice horses for next season. Some of them need a little bit of time, but he’s certainly got enough good horses coming through.”
Among his older progeny is Skymax (NZ) ((Ferrando), a Team Rogerson-trained filly who finished fourth behind Leica Lucy in this year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), while she was also Group Three-placed earlier in the season. “Skymax, who was fourth in the Oaks, will have her first run along this time in tomorrow morning (Thursday), I think she could be very good this season,” Rogerson said.