Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images)
After being part of the group that kept the Group One status of the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) on notice, Matthew Goodson may have a horse to help give that race the boost it needs.
Goodson and his wife Dianna Perron are the owner-breeders of exciting three-year-old Old Fashioned (Proisir), who maintained his unbeaten record in style in Saturday’s Gr.2 The Foxes @ Novara Park Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings.
Goodson is also the chair of the New Zealand Pattern Committee (NZPC), which reviews the Group and Listed status of all New Zealand races in accordance with guidelines established by the Asian Pattern Committee (APC).
In its annual report, released two weeks ago, the NZPC maintained the warning on the 2000 Guineas, which means it is very close to being downgraded, barring either a reprieve from the APC, as was the case following a vote earlier this year, or a stronger running following a poor edition of the race in 2025.
The only way to ensure the race maintains Group One status is for the end-of-season World Thoroughbred Rankings of the top four finishers in the race to average more than the tolerance level of 111. And the manner of his impressive victory at Hastings suggests the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas-bound Old Fashioned may prove to be capable of earning a rating that pushes that race ranking higher.
“Often the race has had a couple of really top, unquestionable Group One horses, but the problem has been that the race has struggled to have the depth in either the top four finishers or the four highest rated horses, which has spoiled the rating of the race,” Goodson said.
“Hopefully this year it will get over the line. It’s a race the NZPC would only downgrade with extreme reluctance if there was absolutely no choice. There is some sympathy at the Asian Pattern Committee to this conundrum.
“Hopefully Old Fashioned can prove his worth in the race. We’ve run third twice with Sherwood Forest and Field of Gold. Field of Gold was horribly unlucky when he was third to Noverre and was horribly hemmed up with nowhere to go.”
Sherwood Forest and Field of Gold both went on to win significant prizes – the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) in Sherwood Forest’s case, and the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) for Field of Gold.
Interestingly, this pair and Old Fashioned were all sent to auction and failed to meet their reserve. Old Fashioned was sent to the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run sale last year in the Lilywhites Lodge consignment, but after running a 10.89 second 200m breeze, nobody was prepared to go to the $150,000 reserve.
“He was a lovely horse and did a lovely breeze. We thought there would be plenty of interest in him, but there was nobody on him, but that’s turned out to be fortunate,” Goodson said.
“Some of our best horses have been ones that no-one’s actually wanted.”
After retaining Old Fashioned, Goodson and Perron sent the colt down to Bill Thurlow at Waverley, who had previously prepared No Rain Ever to win the 2024 Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton for them.
“We’ve known Bill for a long time,” Goodson said. “We met him on an Australian stud tour 12 to 15 years ago. He’s a very good friend of Gordon Calder (who was in the ownership of Sherwood Forest), and Gordon’s always sung his praises.
“He’s got a great set-up at Waverley with the grass track and the beach across the road, so we’ve sent him some horses and it’s been great to get some results.”
Old Fashioned is a granddaughter of the Zabeel mare Mary Agnes, who was the first broodmare Goodson and Perron bought and has become a foundation mare for their operation.
“Mary Agnes was a very good mare but had injury issues, and we bred Contrary Mary, the dam of this horse, from her,” Goodson said.
“Contrary Mary won a very strong maiden first start and had oodles of ability, but she then did a tendon. Now we’ve got him, and he’s shown heaps all the way through.”
Contrary Mary had an Almanzor filly the year before Old Fashioned. After foaling him, she went to Hello Youmzain twice, producing a filly and a colt, and she is currently in foal to Sword of State, the sire of Saturdays Gr.1 Golden Rose (1400m) winner Warwoven in Sydney.
“Sword of State had a good day yesterday as well, which is great for her foal,” Goodson said. “Hopefully we get a nice Sword of State foal, but I’d say after yesterday she’d probably go back to Proisir this year.”
