Purple-patch for King Of Prussia

King of Prussia has hit a purple-patch at the back end of another successful season for Greta West Stud.  He sired a treble at Wodonga and Cranbourne on Sunday and backed up with another winner at Swan Hill on Monday.

King of Prussia’s promising gelding Koorilla Park made it two-from-two this month when he won the Beasley Meats Hcp at Wodonga.  He loomed up in the straight and then sprinted to a convincing win for local trainer David O’Prey.

Koorilla Park (4g King Of Prussia – Darrizana by Toy Pindarri) went into the race on the back of a four length victory in a Wagga maiden on July 5.  The rising five year-old is lucky to be alive much less winning races after recovering from a severe attack of colonitis as a younger horse.  

“He was in a bad way alright,” O’Prey recalled.  “We finally got him going late last year and he ran second here at Wodonga on Boxing Day before I tipped him out again.  

“I took him up to Narrandera for an easy kill last month but his head was in the adjoining stall when they jumped.  He got left 10 lengths and flew home to finish third.  I was pretty confident at Wagga last time and he went right on with the job on Sunday.”

Koorilla Park has only raced six times and O’Prey maintains he will improve enough to earn a trip to Melbourne next season.  The Wodonga based conditioner has had success in town with the likes of Zandarri who won two races at Moonee Valley a decade ago.

Zandarri was owned by the late Ray Northey and his daughter Mary races Koorilla Park.  The Northey family have been long-time clients of Greta West Stud.  Zandarri was by Toy Pindarri and Koorilla Park is out of a Toy Pindarri mare.

Greta West studmaster Laurie McCarthy will be happy if King Of Prussia turns out half as good as Toy Pindarri who was an institution at his North-East Victorian nursery for 20 years.  

Toy Pindarri (Brigand) has sired 319 winners to date at an incredible 67% strike – rate.  He was pensioned in 2005 but the winners are still coming.  His latest is the Terry O’Sullivan trained mare Becherovka who won at Warrnambool last month.

Koorilla Park was the third-leg of a King Of Prussia hat-trick on Sunday.  

Dangarway (3g King Of Prussia – Brocco Dancer by Brocco) opened his account earlier in the day for trainer Lyn Tolson.  He had been an on-pace galloper until a change of tactics worked wonders at Cranbourne.  Settled at the tail of the field by Ricky Cartwright, he launched a powerful finish at the end of 1200m to win running away.

Within minutes, Them’s The Rules scored a strong win at Wodonga for trainer Peter Boynton.  It was her third win in 13 starts.

Them’s The Rules (4m King Of Prussia – Exceptional by Bluebird) is a younger sister to Roughnut who completed a running double for the family 24 hours later at Swan Hill.

Roughnut has built up a healthy strike-rate of 5 wins in 15 starts for Alan Browell.  The Bendigo trainer also prepares Greta West bred mare Two Hills (Hillman) whose bank balance reached $220,000 after a recent victory at Flemington.

King Of Prussia has now sired 71 winners at a 53% strike-rate and his latest crop includes smart youngster Kenston who won first-up after a four month spell at Echuca on July 12.  

King Of Prussia (Anabaa) was an outstanding youngster in his own right.  He looked a world-beater on debut when clocking 57.2s for 1000 metres at Flemington on the same day Brew on the 2000 Melbourne Cup.  He was installed an early favourite for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic but pulled up lame at Warwick Farm on the way to the Gold Coast.

The leg injury continued to plague the colt and part-owners Brian Agnew and Sir Donald Trescowthic curtailed his career after just 8 starts.

King Of Prussia’s stock can take time and that doesn’t translate into top dollar in the sale-ring.  But he’s one of the better bets for owner-breeders looking for a reliable winner-getter at a $3,300 (inc gst) service fee.

King Of Prussia stands with new-season Redoute’s Choice sire Coubertin, Dangerous (Danehill) and Man Of Illusion (Encosta de Lago) at Greta West.  Laurie McCarthy can be contacted for further information on (03) 5727 6243.