Thorn Park holds an unassailable lead in the 2010-11 NZ sires’ premiership and he went further ahead thanks to another Group 1 at Ellerslie on Saturday.  Champion colt Jimmy Choux is Thorn Park’s flag-bearer this season and his latest star turn is NZ Stakes winner The Party Stand.

The Party Stand was headed by Sharp Princess in the NZ Stakes but responded under Opie Bosson to snatch a narrow win from Adaline (Court of Jewels) and NZ Horse of the Year Vosne Romanee (Electronic Zone).

It was her third win in four outings this year following the Vero Insurance Hcp at Te Rapa and Listed Stanley Group Hcp at Matamata.

The Party Stand (4m Thorn Park – Cremisi by Royal Academy) won her maiden at Te Rapa in October 2009 but was then sidelined with a hairline fracture to a pastern.  She resumed with a first-up victory at Te Rapa in May 2010 and crossed the Tasman for a winter campaign that was terminated after a nightmare run in a race won by Buffalo at Rosehill.

Cambridge trainer Roger James bought The Party Stand for $27,500 at the 2008 NZB Select yearling sale from the Windsor Park draft.  She is a half-sister to minor winners Raadisi (Volksraad) and Monmisi (Montjeu).  Their dam Cremisi has a 2yo filly by Volksraad and a yearling colt by King’s Chapel.

She hails from a stakes winning family developed by Sir Tristan Antico in the 1980s.  Second dam Redaria (Red Anchor) is a half-sister to Shannara (Biscay) and the dams of Rigoletto, Kenvain, Imperial Baron and Take Your Partner.

The NZ Stakes was the second Group 1 in as many weeks for Thorn Park.  Champion Kiwi colt Jimmy Choux has propelled him to the top of the 2010-11 NZ sires’ table with a roll-call of wins that climaxed in the G1 NZ Derby on March 5.

Thorn Park (Spinning World) is home and hosed for the NZ premiership this season with earnings over $2.69 million.  Pentire is next best on $1.30 million.  He was a G1 winner of the Stradbroke Hcp before retiring to Windsor Park Stud where he stands for a fee of $13,500 (+ gst).