Per Incanto proves Williams right with award-winning season
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • July 26th, 2025 9:00 AM • 5 min read
Heading into the 2024-25 season, Sam Williams had a feeling that Per Incanto might be on the cusp of something special.
But when RaceForm caught up with the Little Avondale Stud principal just under a year later, Per Incanto’s achievements have gone well beyond simply being a case of “I told you so”.
The Street Cry stallion, who arrived in New Zealand in 2011 at an introductory service fee of just $4,000, has won this season’s Centaine Award for worldwide progeny earnings. In the process, he ended the nine-year reign of Waikato Stud’s Hall of Fame inductee Savabeel.
Per Incanto’s worldwide progeny earnings this season come in at over $19.7 million, putting him more than $2 million ahead of Savabeel’s $17.6 million.
Success in Hong Kong is nothing new for Per Incanto, who has sired 47 winners from 71 runners in that ultra-competitive jurisdiction for combined progeny earnings pushing $50 million.
But what took things to a new level this season was Per Incanto’s deeds in Australia. He has risen to 15th on the Australian sires’ premiership with over A$10.7 million in progeny earnings, siring 46 winners from 91 runners.
“It’s a massive achievement,” Williams said. “We’re only starting to see the better-pedigreed horses from his seasons at a higher service fee coming through now, and he’s gone and taken the Centaine Award off Savabeel.
“Savabeel’s still deservedly taking the Dewar and Grosvenor awards, but for Per Incanto to beat him on worldwide earnings is something very special.
“We know how much they’ve liked him up in Hong Kong for a good number of years, and now he’s doing it in Australia too, so it’s just a huge result and I’m so proud of him.”
Williams has taken special satisfaction from Per Incanto’s results across the Tasman. Per Incanto had already made his mark there through the likes of Roch ‘N’ Horse (Gr. 1 Champions Sprint and Newmarket Handicap), Little Brose (Gr. 1 Blue Diamond) and Group Two winners Lost And Running and Justacanta, but this season took him to new heights.
“He’s 15th on the premiership in Australia, where it’s so competitive,” Williams said. “There are only three in the top 20 who have had under 100 runners – Per Incanto in 15th, and Too Darn Hot in 17th and the late Tavistock in 20th.
“You’re competing against stallions that have had 230 to 260 runners. So when New Zealand stallions do well over there, it’s an incredible achievement considering how much the numbers are against them.
“Australia has a far bigger broodmare pool and those stallions serve big books of well over 200 mares. New Zealand stallions are always on the back foot trying to compete.
“When you do manage to compete, like Per Incanto is now and the likes of Savabeel, Zabeel and O’Reilly have before him, it’s a massive achievement for the stallion and for the New Zealand industry. It shows that our genetics here are very, very strong, along with our wonderful growing environment.”
Jimmysstar has been the headline act for Per Incanto in Australia, winning the Gr. 1 Oakleigh Plate and All Aged Stakes and producing booming finishes from the back to run third in the Gr. 1 William Reid Stakes and fourth in the Gr. 1 TJ Smith Stakes.
Gringotts won the A$3 million The Big Dance in the spring and went on to triumph in the Gr. 1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill.
Dual Group One-winning New Zealand mare Belclare had a brace of Group Two wins in the spring including the A$2 million The Invitation, Marble Arch took out the Gr. 2 Blamey Stakes, and three-year-old Evaporate won the Gr. 2 Stutt Stakes and Gr. 3 Carbine Club Stakes along with placings in the Gr. 1 Caulfield Guineas and the inaugural NZB Kiwi.
“Back at the beginning of August, I said that I believed Per Incanto could be in for his best season in Australia,” Williams said. “What he’s done has exceeded even my expectations. He’s the only active New Zealand sire in the top 20 on their premiership, which is massive.
“Jimmysstar led the way there with his two Group Ones, Gringotts had a Group One as well, and then there were the Group Twos for the likes of Belclare and Evaporate. We got a big thrill out of seeing Evaporate come over and run second in the NZB Kiwi too.
“I think next season could be even bigger. Jimmysstar has some big goals in front of him – they’re hoping to get a slot for The Everest. I hear Gringotts is absolutely flying too.
“Evaporate has been working phenomenally. The Hayes team are aiming towards the Golden Eagle with him. They think he could be a real excitement machine this year.”
Trainer Ciaron Maher has indicated that Gringotts is likely to resume in the Gr. 1 Winx Stakes at Randwick on August 23, with the Gr. 1 King Charles III Stakes in October and Gr. 1 Champions Mile in November other possible targets. Stablemate Jimmysstar will trial in the first half of August as he warms into his potential Everest campaign.
Williams is also keeping a close eye on the younger Per Incanto progeny that are beginning to emerge.
“There are some really exciting horses coming through now, two and three-year-olds from these better-pedigreed mares,” he said. “I’ve been hearing so many wonderful reports from trainers who have these exciting Per Incantos coming through. I can’t wait to see them. Watch this space – he could be in for another wonderful year.
“I can’t wait for the new breeding season, which is only a couple of weeks away. We’ve limited his book for the upcoming season to 85 mares, and he’s got a high-quality book lined up.”
Per Incanto’s legacy at Little Avondale now spans multiple generations. His Gr. 1 Blue Diamond-winning son Little Brose will stand his first season at the Wairarapa nursery this spring, with an introductory service fee of $15,000.
“That’s the really exciting thing,” Williams said. “He brings that youth along with the Per Incanto genes. We’ve got bookings coming in regularly and he’s not far off being full.
“I think we’re very lucky to have secured him, not just for Little Avondale but for the New Zealand industry. Having a stallion like him, who was a Group One-winning two-year-old in Australia, at such an affordable fee is amazing for the industry.
“It’s certainly redeveloped my enthusiasm for the industry. It’s got me really motivated, making sure that Little Avondale doesn’t just fade off into the background when Per Incanto goes. We know now that’s not going to be the case.
“Entain has come into the New Zealand industry and given us a real boost. Now we all need to do our bit too, with a bit of work on the infrastructure side of things. If we do that, we’ll have racing here in New Zealand for the long haul, and I want to continue to be a part of that.”
