Multiple groups 1 winning horse Probabeel, voted Horse of the Year in New Zealand in 2021, can test her mettle for the first time in the Northern Hemisphere at Royal Ascot in June.
Coached by Jamie Richards, the four-time group 1 winner is gearing up for her final campaign in Melbourne later this month and potentially a repeat 12 months ago, when she beat Lamaros Melbourne Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (G3) and Melbourne Futurity Stakes (G1) at Caulfield Racecourse.
Probabeel has never run outside of her native New Zealand or Australia but the choice was to take her to Royal Ascot in the summer, where she was invited to compete at the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) June 16.
Any trip to the UK will depend on how easy it is to travel with New Zealand’s borders currently closed to all but a small number of citizens able to get into quarantine, one The problem could have prevented Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay from making the journey.
Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre said: “For now, Probabeel’s focus is on Futurity and the All-Star Mile in Melbourne and then depending on which way prime minister (Jacinda) Ardern goes, Probabeel will go to Sydney. for Queen Of The Turf (G1) and then it’s over, or she’ll go to the UK.”
He added: “We spoke to Nick Smith at Ascot and we received an invitation to run for the Queen Anne Stakes on Royal Ascot’s grand opening day.”
Six-year-old Probabeel, daughter of Savabeel , the sport hit a record 12 wins from 18 starts and made $3,044,372. She became the first horse in history to complete the Karaka Million 2yo and Karaka Million 3yo doubles.
The Lindsays black and gold checks were carried to the winning Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1) at Hello Youmzain’s Royal Ascot in 2020 but the holders were of course unable to be present due to the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There have been a number of New Zealand representations at Royal Ascot over the years, most recently Enzo’s Lad in 2019 who has twice been on the back of Blue point in Emperor (G1) and Diamond Jubilee.
Prior to that, the Seachange mare, trained by Graeme Sanders, finished 12th in the Golden Jubilee (G1) in 2008 but finished 4th in the Falmouth Stakes (G1) at Newmarket.
