Fate tempted
Fate tempted
It seemed like an innocent remark but it turned out to be true. The remark, almost tempting fate, was made by trainer Stephen Marsh prior to the running of Ellerslie’s Great Northern Challenge Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m). “Races are not run on paper,” he stated, regarding the hot favouritism of his charge, El Vencedor (Shocking) whose “Big EV” moniker signals the horse’s wide popularity.
Co-leader past the 600m, El Vencedor rolled along at a moderate pace and it was not until deep into the straight that Wiremu Pinn asked him to go. At the 150 metres all was well and the hot pot looked in command but Craig Grylls had other ideas and set Mary Shan (Almanzor) alight with a perfectly timed run.
The winner’s ordinary time of 1:37.10 created a sit-and-sprint finish which was El Vencedor’s undoing. Marsh’s prophecy was correct as Mary Shan cut EV down over the last 50 metres to score by a head. Under set weights and penalties, her 53kg vs EV’s 59kg had a strong bearing on the result.
Now a five-year-old mare, by Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor (Wootton Bassett), Mary Shan shares at least two similarities with Qali Al Farrasha (Almanzor), winner of the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) the previous Saturday. The obvious one is their sire whose number of individual stakes winners is now 27 which includes 15 foaled in the southern hemisphere.
The second is their breakthrough as stakes winners. Both are now five and both have been rewarded after achieving a number of black-type placings, mostly as three-year-olds, which reminds the writer of a discussion with Trelawney Stud’s Brent Taylor four years ago after Two Illicit (Jimmy Choux) took out the Captain Cook Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), that year run at Te Rapa.
Two Illicit enjoyed a highly successful season at three but at four found the going a good deal tougher. Taylor observed that four-year-olds’ transition from racing against their own age at three can be difficult the following season. Suddenly, the competition includes bigger and stronger types of all ages. With an additional year, they themselves are bigger and stronger and are able to cope with the required rise in strength.
Two years ago Mary Shan recorded two wins and two Group 2 seconds, in the Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and the Eight Carat Classic (1600m), split with a solid fifth in the New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m). At four her win tally did not increase but she did manage two Listed placings including a valuable $170,000 when second to Orchestral (Savabeel) in the Aotearoa Classic (Listed, 1600m), restricted to four-year-olds.
This season a bigger and stronger Mary Shan has added three wins and Saturday’s win took her earnings to $482,290, a healthy return on the $180,000 outlayed by her trainer Andrew Forsman who found the filly among Prima Park’s Book 1 draft at the 2022 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
She is one of four winners from four to race from Shanzam (High Chaparral), a winning daughter of Wellington Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) winner Shanzero (Danzero) who also finished second in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m). Shanzero played her part by producing seven winners from all seven foals.
Wentwood Grange will offer Mary Shan’s brother next month at the 100th National Yearling Sale at Karaka. Suddenly, Lot 114 in Book 1 has a most worthwhile update. Also in Book 1 is close relative Lot 198 whose dam is a half-sister to Shanzero.
Almanzor’s top performer is Gezora, a dual top-flight winner who landed the Breeders’ Cup Fillies & Mares Turf (Gr 1, 11f) as well as the Prix de Diane (Gr 1, 2100m) in a wonderful season. It might be a tad soon to be talking broodmare sires but investing in an Almanzor filly with a view to a stud career might not be the worst decision in the world.
“She’s pretty good”
Those were the words of rider Warren Kennedy whose Pulsatilla (Redwood) showed explosive acceleration from the 300m when taking out the Trevor & Corralie Eagle Memorial 3YO (Listed, 1500m) at Ellerslie. Kennedy added: “It’s scary to think what she might be.”
Saturday’s win was the filly’s second in four starts, breaking her maiden easily at Avondale, early October. A wide barrier and caught wide throughout saw her run down the track at start three but Kennedy’s wizardry was apparent in the Eagle Memorial as he found, firstly, a rails run after straightening then at the 200m a lane one off the fence. In a flash Pulsatilla flew between runners and had the race sewn up at the 100m only to run clear. It will be interesting to follow her progress as the acceleration she showed is not that common.
Pulsatilla’s dam was 18 when she foaled the filly and has produced seven winners, Pulsatilla clearly her best. Mum, Edie (Rock Of Gibraltar), didn’t do anything on the racetrack but her dam is Jezabeel (Zabeel), a Listed stakes winner at two over 1600m at Ellerslie where she also scored the 1998 Auckland Cup (Gr 1, 3200m).
Jezabeel’s greatest performance however was later in 1998 when she landed the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200), defeating her paternal half-sister Champagne (Zabeel). Jezabeel’s produce record is not fabulous but another daughter, Eighth Wonder (Danehill) produced Macau champion Wonder Mossman (Mossman) to land 19 races in Macau including nine Listed stakes. Edie has been retired from stud duties but in 2024 produced a brother to Pulsatilla.
Westbury double
Westbury Stud had two reasons to be pleased as Pulsatilla became stakes winner 15 for resident stallion Redwood (High Chaparral) and later in the day barnmate Tarzino (Tavistock) added stakes winner eight (three are Group 1 winners) when Tshiebwe saluted in the Wanganui Cup (Listed, 2040m). Their El Roca (Fastnet Rock) provided the runner-up, Enrico.
A big, raw-boned gelding, Tshiebwe is just coming into his own as a six-year-old, thus a representative of Tarzino’s second crop. He didn’t race until four breaking his maiden at start two, scoring again at start four in a six-race campaign.
At five he faced the starter seven times for a further two wins including a Benchmark 75 over 2040m at Wanganui back in January this year. Three starts this season have resulted in another Benchmark 75 and after just 16 starts is on a path to his best season, next month’s Wellington Cup (Gr 3, 3200m) the next target.
Samantha Collett took all luck out of the running by positioning Tshiebwe just outside the leader to the end of the back straight then allowed the big boy to stride to the lead. Rounding into the home straight Collett shot him clear and the result was never in doubt, the margin three and a quarter lengths in a hands-and-heels finish.
His dam, Aint No Lollygagga (No Excuse Needed), a four-time winner, produced two foals and both are winners. Her half-sister, Romanov Girl (Easy Rocking), is the dam of Executed (Warhead) whose 19 wins included a Listed win in Brisbane. Tshiebwe’s grandam is a half-sister to Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) and Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2200m) winner Perlin (Carnegie).
Two and more to follow
Windsor Park Stud will certainly be hoping that is the case after Circus Dancer (Circus Maximus) racked up a second stakes winner for their young sire Circus Maximus (Galileo), both from his first crop. He also has a Group 1 placed performer, Green Storm, from his initial Northern Hemisphere crop.
Circus Dancer defied punters and started as the second least favoured in the O’Learys Fillies Stakes (Listed, 1340m) even though she arrived at Wanganui unbeaten, albeit in her only start but an easy win at New Plymouth in late October. A win against a small field and a heavy track may have put punters off at Wanganui where she sat a close second prior to straightening. She took over with 250m to run then held off the fast finish of favourite War Princess (U S Navy Flag) to remain unbeaten.
Circus Dancer was purchased via gavelhouse.com in July 2024 as a result of the passing of breeder Rick Orr and fetched just $3200, thus a very good buy for her new owners. She is one of five winners from five to race from the unraced O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) mare Folies Bergere, also the dam of Taranaki Oaks Prelude (Listed, 1800m) winner Khanshe (Mongolian Khan).
Their dam is doing a splendid job at stud. She has an unnamed juvenile colt by Noverre (Savabeel), foaled a filly by Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) in 2024 and visited Ancient Spirit (Invincible Spirit) last season. Circus Dancer’s grandam was the speedy Dashing Donna (Don Eduardo) whose preference for Ellerslie saw her land the Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and finish second in the Railway Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m).
Wellington wobble
Racking up stakes winner number 154 for Savabeel (Zabeel), surely the stakes win by his son Ammirati must be the most unusual when with mere strides remaining in Sunday’s Wellington Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) second looked like his lot..
In a wild finish, the leader, Road To Paris (Circus Maximus), looked in control only to suddenly shy at the winning post and drop his rider. Mayhem followed. Jockey Masa Hashizume miraculously escaped injury and three runners were left to fight out the finish, separated by two noses as Ammirati was hampered but somehow clung on.
Ammirati’s nose was in front and took his record to six starts and two wins, the first prize of $57,500 going some way towards his purchase price of $450,000 at the 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale. He is the first winner from the winning Pins (Snippets) mare Happily, herself a half-sister to Listed 2YO winner Exuberant to which Ammirati is a three-quarter relation.
Waikato Stud will offer his brother, Lot 467, in Book 1 of NZB’s Centenary Karaka Yearling Sale next month. Their great grandam is a half-sister to Scandinavia (Snippets), grandam of unbeaten Black Caviar (Bel Espirit).
Updates galore
All five winners (above) are first time stakes winners which means that catalogue updates are in full swing. Another stallion with a new stakes winner is Waikato Stud’s Super Seth (Dundeel) whose Ruska Roma was successful in Saturday’s Twilight Glow Stakes (Listed, 1400m), one of three New Zealand-sired stakes winners at Caulfield. Ruska Roma was foaled in Australia. The others were Zipping Classic (Gr 2, 2400m) winner She’s A Hustler (Ace High) and Testa Rossa Stakes (Listed, 1400m) winner Here To Shock (Shocking), both sires resident at Rich Hill Stud.