When Elle Sourit (NZ) (Ocean Park) took out the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Final (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday, the $120,000 stake money was not the only winning claims for co-breeder and owner Carey Pearce.
Unbeaten in four starts, Elle Sourit scored her share of a $100,000 bonus attached to the race on top of the base stake – $70,000 to the winner, $20,000 for second and $10,000 for third.
Bred and raced by Anne Barr, Janine Bell, Wayne Dempster and Pearce, the group of friends are enjoying the ride of breeding and owning the unbeaten star four-year-old mare.
“When Elle Sourit’s dam retired from racing, the four of us had the opportunity to buy into her as a breeding proposition,” commented Pearce.
Elle Sourit’s dam Bel Sorriso (NZ) (Keeper) was just a $5,000 purchase from Karaka as a yearling, and went on to win on eight occasions, including the Group Three Thompson Handicap (1600m).
“It wasn’t a smooth passage breeding with Bel Sorriso. The first foal was a winner in Australia, but we have lost two foals from her. We decided on Ocean Park as a consort for her, and then Contributer.”
“Until we bred a filly, I wasn’t greatly aware of the Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series, but have since become a big fan of it.
“We were fortunate to win a Pearl Bonus with Elle Sourit already, so to subsequently win the final is great. I’m a big supporter of the concept and while we’re not big breeders it is helpful to us to have that support,” added Pearce who passionately follows all things thoroughbred breeding and racing.
“We know how hard it is to get a good horse. We’ve already been approached by people wanting to secure her, but at that stage the collective group had no interest in selling her.”
“Given how good she has been, the factor of breeding from her in the future is certainly on the table.”
Asked what is on the cards next for the unbeaten Elle Sourit, Pearce was quick to leave those decisions to her trainer Andrew Forsman.
“That’s over to Andrew of course, but I think she is a horse suited to Trentham so we are looking at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes on 28 March. We have some heritage with Trentham so out of sentiment it would be good to go there but we have to be realistic and do what is best for the horse.”
In the meantime, Pearce has the next and final foal out of Bel Sorriso to follow who is showing promise just like his older sister. Camerlengo (NZ) (Contributer) trials at Ellerslie on Tuesday for young trainers Conor and Sarah Fahy.
The Entain-NZB Insurance Pearl Series is a bonus scheme for Southern Hemisphere bred fillies and mares, supporting fillies and mares racing in New Zealand. Managed by the NZTBA, the scheme includes up to 100 individual races for fillies and mares over four seasons' racing, with bonuses for each race of $28,000.
The Series has been designed to benefit owners, trainers and breeders of fillies and mares running in New Zealand and are available in all regions of the country. All bonuses are cumulative, ie a horse can win multiple bonuses throughout her racing career. For each win, the Winning Owner receives a $20,000 bonus, while the winning Trainer and Nominator receive $1,000 each. In addition to this, the Owner of a filly or mare that places second receives a $4,000 bonus, with the Owner of the third placegetter earning a $2,000 bonus.
Adding further appeal is the $100,000 Pearl Series Bonus Final run at Ellerslie in the Autumn. The Final is open to Pearl Series registered horses only, up to five years of age. Southern and Central-based horses who make the Final are also provided with travel subsidies to compete.
Early bird entries for yearling fillies (born 2024) in the Entain-NZB Insurance Pearl Series close 31 March. To nominate your yearlings, visit the website here.
