A high quality Waikato Stud alumni, Glamour Puss held her own on the Australian turf

Back in early 2000’s Waikato Stud bred two winners of the Sprint Classic within four years – Glamour Puss who was raced by Waikato Stud was successful in 2005, while O’Reilly gelding Swick gained Group 1 glory three years later. In 1999 Waikato Stud sent a number of mares to Storm Cat’s Group 1 winning son, Tale Of The Cat. Among those mares were Last Lady, a sister to Kinjite who produced the Group 2 winner Scaredee Cat and the Group 2 placed Centaine mare Escada, (Centenaire in Australia) whose filly raced as Glamour Puss.

She was always a lovely filly and was destined to race in the Waikato Stud colours. After her initial education at Courtza Park, she was sent to the stables of Paul O’Sullivan. Given plenty of time, she was wasn’t seen at the races until the Spring of her three-year-old career. Starting in a 1200m Maiden at Matamata in October, she showed she had plenty of ability with a strong debut performance, charging home to claim victory close to the line. After one more start, she was given a spell and resumed with an impressive win at Te Rapa in February. Although she placed in two of her next four starts, Garry and Mark Chittick made the decision to send her over to Australia and she was placed in the care of good friend Danny O’Brien. During the Spring of 2004, she was allowed to work her way through the grades winning two (and being placed twice) of her five starts. At this stage, a plan was hatched to tackle the two Group 1 races in Adelaide.

Stepping up to Stakes level in February, she won the Listed Moduline H.R.C Stakes at Caulfield before heading to the $300,000 Gr.1 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville. She ran a very creditable second to the great mare Alinghi. Given a month between runs, she showed her class with an impressive victory on a very heavy track in the $250,000 Group 3 Sapphire Stakes at Randwick. Returning to Morphettville, she proved far too good for her opposition, claiming her first Group one with a victory in Adelaide’s premier spring race – the $300,000 Goodwood Handicap. Obviously being a Group 1 winner, whatever she did from now on was a bonus.

Given a spell, she was set for Spring. After an unplaced run in the Manikato Stakes, she ran second in the Gr.2 Gilgai Stakes. Having had two runs back from a spell and dropping five kilograms, she claimed her second Group 1 when winning the Salinger Stakes. Doing so well during the week, Danny O’Brien had very little hesitation backing her up in the Gr.2 The Age Classic seven days later. Again, she left the likes of Stratum, Cape Of Good Hope, Dance Hero and Takeover Target in her wake, completing the ‘Sprint double’.

Following a second in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick in April, the decision was to made to send her to Royal Ascot in England. As she had gone so well when backing up at Flemington, she was set for the Gr.2 King Stand over 1000m on the Tuesday before competing in the Gr.1 Golden Jubilee Stakes four days later. She ran very well on the first day finishing 1.4 lengths behind Takeover Target but wasn’t as her best in the Golden Jubilee, finishing 10th. This was to be her last race and she was retired to stud. She did a great job at stud and all eight of her foals have won a race and two have been Stakes performers. Glamour Puss passed away, aged 16 in 2016 due to compilations from colic surgery, but her legacy lives on at Waikato through a number of her daughters which have been retained.

RACE RECORD - 26: 9-4-4

EARNINGS - $1,246,821

2005 VRC Salinger Stakes

2005 Sapphire Stakes

2005 Goodwood Handicap