Group 1 winning mare Guiseppina will now start the next phase of her stellar career as a broodmare in Pencarrow’s leading broodmare band after a highly successful career on the track.

Trained by Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie, Guiseppina (Johar x Battocchi, by Success Express) retires to stud as the winner of six of her 21 career starts with her pin up performance coming in January 2012 where she won the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap under jockey James McDonald.

“She’s a lovely big mare and was a pleasure to train,” commented co-trainer Steven Ramsay.

“She always gave her best in her races and she had such an unbelievable turn-of-foot. Everyone who rode her like Michael Walker and James McDonald all said what amazing acceleration she had, even when she was just starting out.”

A mare who showed immense ability from the start of her career, the daughter of Johar had a rocky introduction to racing having been injured at just her third start in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes, forcing her to be side-lined for 17 months.

However, she showed her metal as she won first up after returning to the track from injury and put three wins together, culminating in the Listed Flying Handicap, before being undone by a slow track in the Group 1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes in April 2011.

After striking another wet track in the 2011 Group 1 Myer Classic in Melbourne in the spring, Guiseppina returned to New Zealand and signalled she was back in top form with a big win in the Listed Levin Stakes. She then carried that form into the Telegraph which she won after producing a brilliant late surge from the back of the field.

That 2012 Telegraph win was the start of Guiseppina’s best year on the track as she mixed with the best WFA horses in New Zealand, finishing fourth at her next start in the Group 1 Waikato Draught Sprint and then third in the Group 1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic.

Later last year in the spring she continued that consistent form finishing fifth and fourth in the first two legs of Hawke’s Bay’s Triple Crown before producing a brave performance to finish second in the Group 1 NZB Insurance Spring Classic (2000m) behind Shez Sinsational.

“That performance showed just how tough she is,” commented Ramsey. “There are not many horses who have won a Group 1 race over 1200 metres that have also run second in a Group 1 over 2000 metres.”

Guiseppina then ran third in the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Counties in late November, her final podium finish, as she then showed in her last three starts that she is ready for the next phase of her career.

“She’s retired sound and we’re going to give her plenty of time to let down,” Pencarrow manager Leon Casey said.

“She’s a Group One winner under handicap conditions and placed at Group One level at weight-for-age so she’s done a great job.”

Bred by Peter and Philip Vela, Guiseppina is from the Success Express mare Battocchi who is also the dam of the Pencarrow bred Micken (Darci Brahma) who ran second in the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1500m) in 2011. She also hails from the family of Group 1 winners The Pooka and Trappings.