Per Incanto's remarkable stud career reached another milestone on Saturday night when the Little Avondale Stud stallion claimed both the Dewar Award and the Centaine Award at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Awards.
The son of Street Cry secured the Dewar Award as the New Zealand-based sire with the highest Australasian progeny earnings, while also collecting the Centaine Award for the second time after topping the worldwide progeny earnings table.
Accepting the awards, Little Avondale principal Sam Williams paid tribute to the remarkable stallion, whose career almost came to an abrupt end after a hind leg injury suffered in a paddock accident in 2023 threatened both his life and future at stud.
"Per Incanto in Italian means 'it's magic', and this is a magical horse," Williams said.
"It's pretty special to be here tonight and take out this award.
"Thank you, Cambridge Stud. After the injury that was well documented, we were more worried about saving the horse's life than saving his breeding career.
"A big thank you to Waikato Vets and Cambridge Stud. Everyone came to the party to help, and that's what this big family is about."
Williams said the Dewar Award held particular significance given its rich history and his family's long association with it.
"The Dewar Award for Australasian earnings for a New Zealand-based sire is the biggie for us," he said.
"Dad (Buzz) won this four times, once with Agricola and three times with Oncidium, who was a freak of a sire.
"It's just so great to also get one with Per Incanto. Catriona, our family and I are thrilled to win the Dewar. Its history goes back 60 years.”
Williams said Per Incanto's achievements were even more remarkable when viewed against the strength and scale of Australia's leading stallions.
"One statistic says it all. Per Incanto is firmly entrenched in the top 10 stallions in Australia, sitting sixth, and had 94 runners, while the other top nine sires averaged 270 runners.
"Per Incanto has done it the hard way. He started at a service fee of $4,000 and he has upgraded his mares. He leaves good colts and fillies, so there is no sex bias, and he can leave horses of all ages.
"He is a sprinting son of Street Cry and his progeny have been able to compete on the toughest sprinting stage in the world in Australia.
"He hasn't done it as a fluke or with just a one-horse wonder. He has done it on a regular basis."
Williams also acknowledged the contribution of the Little Avondale team to the stallion's success.
"Your horses are only as good as your staff. If you don't have good staff you won't have good horses," he said.
"That is something we focus on at Little Avondale, having good people working with the horses. Then you get the rewards, not just on the racetrack, but also the recognition at events like the Breeders' Awards. It was just a wonderful evening."
While Per Incanto continues to produce elite performers on the track, Williams believes the stallion's greatest influence may still lie ahead.
"I think Per Incanto's legacy in the future will be as a broodmare sire," he said.
"Street Cry has had a massive influence over the last few years in Australia, and I believe his broodmares are going to be sensational."
That influence is already beginning to emerge, with world champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising among the outstanding performers out of a Per Incanto mare. – NZ Racing Desk
