Rich Hill Stud and the Proisir Syndicate have thrown their support behind a worthy cause by offering a nomination to champion sire Proisir.

It will be auctioned at Luminary/2024, a CatWalk Trust function to be held at the Ellerslie Events Centre on Saturday June 22 with all proceeds dedicated to cutting-edge, world-class research aimed at finding a cure for spinal cord injuries.

A service nomination to champion Australian two-year-old sire Capitalist has also been donated by Newgate Farm.

Rich Hill’s John Thompson was approached by CatWalk founder Catriona Williams and husband Sam, of Little Avondale Stud, and was more than happy to support the function.

“I have an affinity with Catwalk as I went to school with (Deputy Chair) Grant Sharman, who damaged his spine in a rugby game and was confined to a wheelchair,” Thompson said.

“Like Catriona, he has gone on to achieve amazing things and Rich Hill and the Proisir Syndicate are delighted to help in any way we can.”

Proisir, who stands at a fee of $80,000 + GST, has sired six individual Group One winners in the last 20 months including this season’s star performers Legarto and Waitak.

He claimed the 2022/23 New Zealand Sires’ Premiership and was the leading Australasian source of elite level winners with five of his progeny triumphant at the highest level.

Proisir enjoyed a bumper 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale with a sister to glamour mare Prowess selling for $1.6 million, a domestic record price for a filly sold at auction, and his Book 1 draft averaged $275,000, 22 times his service fee.

At the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year, his progeny sold up to A$450,000, averaging $283,000.

His 2023 mare book included 59 stakes performers, which included six Group One winners and 11 Group One placegetters.

Interested parties can contact Chris Lovelady at chris@catwalk.org.nz and register to bid for the Proisir and Capitalist service nominations.