Miss Finland

Miss Finland was:

• the only G1 Golden Slipper (1200m) winner in history to train on and win the VRC G1 Oaks (2500m)
• the first filly to complete the Golden Slipper/VRC Oaks double
• only the second filly to win the G1 Australian Guineas
• the fourth-highest earning mare ever in Australia when she retired from racing
• named 2006 Sportsman Horse of the Year

Miss Finland retired to stud as a five times Group 1 winner of more than $4.6 million in prizemoney.

“I always thought she would be the perfect mate for Hussonet because of their physical and genetic compatibility and we must not forget that she’s also by super stallion, Redoute’s Choice” says Arrowfield Chairman John Messara.

Miss Finland is a grand-daughter of the G1 Oaks winner Moonshell (Sadler’s Wells), who herself is a full-sister to Doyen – winner of Europe’s Premier Weight For Age race the G1 King George VI andQueen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, and who is also Europe’s fastest ever 12-furlong G1 winner, andTimeform Horse of the Year.

Hussonet (USA) is the most dominant active sire-son of Mr. Prospector.

The sire of 27 G1 winners and 19 Champions, Hussonet covered an outstanding book of mares in 2008 (weanlings of the current season).

These included Shantha’s Choice (dam of REDOUTE’S CHOICE, PLATINUM SCISSORS, MANHATTAN RAIN, Superior Sateen, Monsoon Wedding), Monsoon Wedding (Sister to REDOUTE’S CHOICE etc),AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’, ALEXANDRA ROSE(SAF), DAMASCHINO, EMERALD DREAM, GALROOF,LOTTERIA, MISS BUSSELL, PORTLAND SINGA, OPPORTUNITY, Ribe (dam of G1 winner REAAN(Hussonet (USA)), RENA’S LADY, ROSA’S SPUR, Singles Bar (dam of NOT A SINGLE DOUBT), STORMY HILL and TYCOON LIL.

Miss Finland, the only Golden Slipper winner in history to train on and win the VRC Oaks, produced her first foal – a filly by Hussonet – at Arrowfield Stud today.

A daughter of Redoute’s Choice, Miss Finland retired to stud as a five times Group 1 winner of more than $4.6million in prizemoney.

“Like all mares due to foal Miss Finland has been pretty uncomfortable for the past few days but she foaled down easily enough once she was ready,” said Nigel Jones, Arrowfield’s Stud Groom.

Miss Finland (ex Forest Pearl (USA), by Woodman) won the G1 Golden Slipper as a 2YO.

At three she won the G1 Thousand Guineas, G1 VRC Oaks, G1 Australian Guineas and G1 Arrowfield Stud Stakes and in the 2006-7 ANZ Classifications she headed two separate distance categories for 3YO fillies: Leading 3YO Intermediate Filly (following her win in the G1 Arrowfield Stud Stakes); and Leading 3YO Long and Extended Filly (following her win in the G1 VRC Oaks).

She was the first filly to complete the Golden Slipper/VRC Oaks double and only the second filly to win the G1 Australian Guineas.

She retired the fourth-highest earning mare ever in Australia.

“I always thought she would be the perfect mate for Hussonet because of their physical and genetic compatibility and we must not forget that she’s also by super stallion, Redoute’s Choice” says Arrowfield Chairman John Messara.

Miss Finland is a grand-daughter of the G1 Oaks winner Moonshell (Sadler’s Wells), who herself is a full-sister to Doyen – winner of Europe’s Premier Weight For Age race the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, and who is also Europe’s fastest ever 12-furlong G1 winner, and Timeform Horse of the Year.

Hussonet (USA) is the most dominant active sire-son of Mr. Prospector.

The sire of 67 Stakeswinners, 26 G1 winners and 19 Champions, Hussonet has an outstanding book of mares due to foal in 2009.

These include Shantha’s Choice (dam of REDOUTE’S CHOICE, PLATINUM SCISSORS, MANHATTAN RAIN, Superior Sateen, Monsoon Wedding), Monsoon Wedding (Sister to REDOUTE’S CHOICE etc), AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’, ALEXANDRA ROSE (SAF), DAMASCHINO, EMERALD DREAM, GALROOF, LOTTERIA, MISS BUSSELL, PORTLAND SINGA, OPPORTUNITY, RIBE (dam of G1 winner REAAN (Hussonet (USA)), RENA’S LADY, ROSA’S SPUR, Singles Bar (dam of NOT A SINGLE DOUBT), STORMY HILL and TYCOON LIL.

A photo taken on Day 2 for the filly foal (by Hussonet (USA) out of Champion Mare Miss Finland.

How time flies: the first foal of champion fillyMiss Finland is now a strapping 2YO in trainingwith Paul Messara.

Pictured: The Arrowfield team inspects Miss Helsinki at Paul Messara Racing yesterday. Click on the image to enlarge it. (PHOTO: Susan Archer)

As the photograph shows, the daughter of champion sire Hussonet has inherited plenty of her mother’s physical substance.

Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice-Forest Pearl by Woodman) won 11 of her 26 starts at two, three and four, including five Group 1 races in Sydney and Melbourne: the Golden Slipper, VRC Oaks, One Thousand Guineas, Australian Guineas & Arrowfield Stud Stakes. Ranked the champion 2YO, and champion 3YO filly of her generation, Miss Finland is not the only outstanding performer in her immediate pedigree. Her grand-dam Moonshell (by Sadler’s Wells) won The Oaks G1 and is a sister to champion European older horse Doyen and Group 2 winner Hatha Anna.

Miss Finland also has a yearling colt by Hussonet, a 2011 filly by Street Cry and has returned to Street Cry.

Paul Messara achieved his second Group 1 success on Saturday evening when 6YO mare Ortensia, owned by Alister Fraser, Emma Ridley and Annie Fraser, won the $500,000 WATC Winterbottom S. 1200m G1 at Ascot in Perth.