It’s been a frustrating last few months for the connections of Prowess, but they were relieved to finally see their mare back at the races on Saturday.

An abscess ruled the multiple Group One winner out of her first-up target, the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) last month, while a stone bruise resulted in her withdrawal from a trial at Taupo.

Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood got on top of those issues and kicked-off her delayed spring preparation in the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), where she finished runner-up behind Town Cryer.

James and Wellwood were happy enough with her first-up run and said she would take plenty of improvement from the outing ahead of her next target, the Gr.2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at The Valley on October 28.

“It (run) was good, and looking back on it probably better (than initially thought),” Wellwood said.

“She was wide most of the way and she didn’t handle the (Soft7) track. Michael (McNab, jockey) said she dipped and dived, and he had to pick her up and try and get her travelling again.

“She came up to them like she was going to win and probably peaked on her run.

“It has been a long time since she has had a run, or a trial, and I think she is really going to come on from the day out.

“She trotted up in nice order on Sunday and has eaten most of her tucker, so all-in-all we are very happy with how she has come through the run.

“It has been very frustrating, but we are on the road now and I am really looking forward to seeing her up over a mile and further going forward.”

Kingsclere Stables also scored a runner-up result at the same meeting with Pinion in the Egmont Cup (2100m).

“He is a horse that doesn’t like wet ground and was probably in the worst part of the ground, but he was very good,” Wellwood said.

“I am really happy with him and looking forward to seeing him on a better track.

“He may have the one run up here prior to heading down to (Riccarton for) the Metropolitan (Listed, 2600m) and then into the New Zealand Cup (Gr.3, 3200m).”

Looking ahead to racing this week, the Cambridge barn will take three-year-old fillies Sonnet and Sudbina to Taupo on Wednesday, where they are hoping they can improve on their last start placings in the Placemakers Rotorua (1300m) and McLeod Hiabs (1300m) respectively.

“Both have drawn nicely enough and they had very good runs at Matamata first-up,” Wellwood said.

“They are both fillies that in time will probably be better, but if they improve off their first-up runs, they should go reasonably well.”