McHale (AUS)
McHale (AUS)
2 c Shooting To Win – Xaar’s Jewel by Xaar
O: Star Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd, Paramount Racing, Mr O Enriquez
B: Mrs M Wright
T: Chris Waller
S: 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale V: Edinglassie Stud P: Star Thoroughbreds / Randwick Bloodstock Agency, $160,000
W: Robrick Lodge Handicap, 1250m, July 12, Canterbury
Few horses will have earned a more dramatic debut win than two-year-old colt McHale (Shooting To Win), who with 50 metres left to run of the juvenile handicap at Canterbury’s midweek meeting was nowhere to be seen.
Camped out in last position in the nine-runner 1250-metre contest, that is where the Chris Waller-trained McHale remained, held up by the wall of traffic ahead of him, until the half a furlong pole when Tyler Schiller spotted a gap between runners and plundered his mount through. Displaying a dynamite turn of foot, McHale made his rivals appear rooted still, going on to win by a neck, a margin that became a length a mere few strides after the line.
The all-conquering Waller team have laid their eyes on many talented horses in their time, but the manner of McHale’s win drew surprise, even for them.
“It was a blanket finish by most of them. It was a thrilling race, to say the least. Tyler had to thread through a narrow passage,” Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said.
“It’s fantastic for the owners, they are huge supporters of Denise [Martin] and the stable as well.
“It’s only his first preparation, so the sky’s the limit for him.”
A $160,000 Inglis Classic buy for Denise Martin and Randwick Bloodstock Agency, McHale is raced by Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds along with Kathryn Wood’s Paramount Racing and Oliver Enriquez.
McHale is one of 29 career two-year-old winners for his Oakland Park Stud stallion Shooting To Win (Northern Meteor), whose three stakes winners this season are led by Group 3 scorers Dom To Shoot and Shooting For Gold.
The colt, who is a half-brother to a pair of Group 2 winners in Ninth Legion (Fastnet Rock) and Tsaritsa (Dane Shadow), is the ninth foal out of his three-time-winning dam Xaar’s Jewel (Xaar), herself a half-sister to dual Listed winner Kidlat (Snippets).
Xaar’s Jewel, a rising 20-year-old mare, was retired from breeding duties after having foaled a filly by Zousain (Zoustar) last year.