Fortuna 3yo Filly, OUR PARAMOUR, wins for the first time at Cranbourne in Victoria – Friday 11th October 2024
Continuing to make terrific headway, Our Paramour (3 f Contributer – Victory Parade, by Street Sense) won the $40,000 Ladbrokes Own Spring Maiden 2025 metres on 11 October at Cranbourne (Victoria).
After finishing third and first, respectively, in two trials last season in New Zealand, Our Paramour transferred to the Te Akau stables at Cranbourne, where she finished second in a jump out on the home course before squeezing through late for third when debuting in the Maiden 3YO Fillies 1300 metres there on 5 September. She then produced a strong effort for third in the Crown Oaks Preview 1800 metres on 22 September at Flemington, and was bet to microscopic odds ($1.40) for her Cranbourne assignment.
Drawn barrier one, with Blake Shinn aboard for the third consecutive time, Our Paramour, back in the field and on the rail, negated a pocket to be outside the leader with 600m to travel and although not having everything her own way in the straight, she nonetheless found plenty to draw away for a good win. On footing rated Good4, Our Paramour ran the 2025 metres in 2:07.5.
Click HERE to see the race result and replay
“It was a really good win, in race one heading into a night meeting at Cranbourne, and a lovely ride of Blake Shinn’s,” said trainer Mark Walker. “They’ve struck up a great association and the win will really get her confidence levels up, and we’re on target now for the $300,000 Wakefield Stakes (Gr. 2, 2000m) on Derby Day (2 Nov.) at Flemington, and then onto the VRC Oaks. She’s a filly that Dave (Ellis) and John (Galvin) bought for a really good price ($75,000) at the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, and it’s always great to get wins on the board for John and Jessica Galvin and the Fortuna Racing owners. They’ve been terrific supporters of the stable for many years now, and they’re having a lot of luck in Australia at the moment which is great to see. She’s still learning and a little bit green, this filly, but been aided by lovely rides from Blake, and Ben (Gleeson) and the team have got all the horses going really well.”
Our Paramour – Maiden Victory – Cranbourne 11th October 2024 – Blake Shinn aboard
(image by Race Photos)
All going well and safely through her next assignment, Our Paramour is scheduled to contest the $1m VRC Oaks (Gr. 1, 2500m) on Thursday 7 November at Flemington.
Our Paramour became the fourth winner from the last eight runners that Mark Walker has lined-up in Victoria, including Fortuna Racing filly Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) who won the Scarborough Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) on 27 September at Moonee Valley, after being successful in the Cap D’Antibes Stakes (Listed, 1100m) on 14 September at Flemington.
Our Paramour was purchased by David Ellis CNZM and Fortuna Racing for $75,000 at the 2023 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, from the draft of Mapperley Stud.
On course at Cranbourne, and in readiness to watch Bellatrix Star contest the $300,000 Henley Homes Schillaci Stakes (Gr. 2, 1100m) on Saturday at Caulfield, John Galvin said: “I’m here at the races at Cranbourne, with Neil Cooper from Stratford and John Nixon from Pukekohe, who are in both Our Paramour and Bellatrix Star. She was well picked out at the sales by David and Mark and we paid a fair price for her, which was more or less the sort of level we like to pay for that type of horse. She’s definitely an out and out staying filly and Blake Shinn made the comment to me after the race that she’s looking for a mile and a half (2400m) already.
“It was only her third start and she’s still a bit green, but Blake said she just has to run in a race where she has something to chase. There’s not a lot of her, not the biggest horse in the world, about 460-kilos, but she’s really come on the coat since I last saw her a month ago and she just keeps on improving. The gear change tonight, taking the hood off and going to visor blinkers, I think was significant, and she was well ridden by Blake to take the gaps when they appeared. Well done to Mark Walker and Ben Gleeson for the way they have handled and prepared this Filly
“Of interest, Carol Dunlop from Cambridge, one of our long time owners, is in the ownership of Our Paramour and she had success back in 1979 with Brava Jeannie who won the VRC Triple Crown, which in those days was the 1000 Guineas, Wakeful Stakes and the VRC Oaks.”
Our Paramour is by Mapperley Stud stallion Contributer (High Chaparral), who, tragically, passed away in September this year.
Australian Middle Distance Horse of the Year, Contributer (High Chaparral) was a dual Group One winner in the Chipping Norton (Gr. 1, 1600m) and Ranvet Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m), and Champion Second Season Sire in New Zealand. From his first crop, David Ellis purchased subsequent Group One winner Campionessa, whose 11 wins have earned over $1.3m in prize money.
Our Paramour is raced by the Fortuna Our Paramour Syndicate, an Ownership Group consisting of 65 individuals from New Zealand and Australia
She was strapped by Abbey Reid