Well-related Pencarrow graduate Pericles (NZ) (Rubick) stepped up into stakes company with an impressive performance in Saturday’s $100,000 Listed Skycity Horizon Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie.

Pericles was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and offered in Pencarrow’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2022, where Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables bought him for $110,000. He has had seven starts for three wins and $88,520 in stakes.

A last-start winner over 1400 metres, Pericles stepped down in distance for Saturday’s sprint feature and came up against a number of highly rated rivals. But after settling in sixth place for jockey Vinnie Colgan, he launched an irresistible finish in the straight to score a convincing half-length victory over Just A Floozie (NZ) (I Am Invincible).

“Dropping back to 1200 metres had me a little worried,” said Pam Gerard, who trains in partnership with Mike Moroney. “He has always been a front-runner, but Vinnie was keen to take a sit and it worked out better than we thought it would.

“We’ve said for a long time that he is a very good horse, but it has just taken that little bit longer to get there. I’m super proud for his owners, who have put in so much, and he is loved by the staff at home who have done so much work with him.

“We will see how he pulls up, but we have the Wellington Guineas (Group Two, 1400m) in line for him next. Next year is going to be his year and we just have to stop him going to Australia now (to Moroney’s Flemington stable).”

Pericles is by Rubick and is the first foal out of Empyrean (NZ) (O’Reilly), who is an unraced half-sister to the Group One placegetter Uberalles (NZ) (Giant’s Causeway), Listed winner Seraphim (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), and Group Three performers Duquesa (NZ) (Encosta De Lago) and Imperium (NZ) (Encosta De Lago).

They are all progeny of the legendary Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm), who carried the Pencarrow colours to victory in the Group One Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) in the same glorious spring in 2001.

As well as being dam of four stakes performers, Ethereal also has daughters and granddaughters who have produced the likes of Group One performers Supera (NZ) (Savabeel), Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi) and Ethereal Star (Snitzel).

A half-brother to Pericles was offered by Pencarrow during the recent Book 1 session of Karaka 2024. The colt by Ole Kirk was bought by Go Racing Ltd and Blandford Bloodstock for $200,000.