Shangri La Springs surprise to land Frank Packer Plate
A Queensland winter campaign is on the horizon for improving colt Shangri La Spring (Castelvecchio) after his surprise all-the-way victory in Saturday’s Frank Packer Plate (Gr 3, 2000m) at Randwick.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained son of Castelvecchio (Dundeel) finished unplaced for the first time in six starts when fourth last time out in the Carbine Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m), but was seemingly right at home upon stepping out to 2000 metres for a second crack at Group 3 level.
Ridden by Tim Clark, Shangri La Spring swung into the straight full of running and kept up the gallop to see off dual Group 1 placegetter and $1.90 favourite Swiftfalcon (Exceedance), who had loomed up inside the final 300 metres, before running on to a 0.68-length win, his first at stakes level.
Swiftfalcon was collared for third by Plymouth (The Autumn Sun) – who raced in the same R&C Legh Racing colours – as Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) runner-up Firm Agreement (Yes Yes Yes) dived to fill second spot again.
Bott revealed that he and Waterhouse had initially hoped to pursue an Australian Derby tilt with their colt, but timing issues mean he will now be redirected towards the Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31.
“I wanted to try to get him here for the ATC Derby,” Bott said. “We gave him a short turnaround off the back of his winter campaign and thought we’d give him that option.
“It has just taken a bit longer to get him fit than we wanted so we thought the Carbine [Club Stakes] and Frank Packer would be a better program and then we could aim up [to the Queensland Derby] if we ticked those boxes.”
Stakes placed in the Canberra Guineas (Listed 1400m) two starts back, Shangri La Spring looked to struggle at a mile last-start but jockey Tim Clark said that in hindsight, his ride was too aggressive.
“It was probably a little bit my fault the other day. He probably wasn’t quite ready to be ridden like he was, second-up at a mile,” the winning rider said.
“That probably held him in good stead for today having a really good, toughen-up run under his belt on the back of Gai and Adrian’s advice to hold him up a bit more today, and getting out to 2000 metres, to trust his turn of foot.”
Shangri La Spring was a $325,000 purchase out of his breeder Arrowfield Stud’s draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by his trainers and Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
Out of the Listed-winning Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Opportunity, he is a half-brother to the stakes-placed winners Profit (Dundeel), Rifleman (Hussonet), and Geromayo (Charge Forward).
With his Group 3 win, Shangri La Spring became the sixth individual stakes winner for Arrowfield Stud’s second-season sire Castelvecchio, who will stand the upcoming season for $49,000 (inc GST).