Shamal Wind, Suavito Sprint to Caulfield Wins
Description:
Five-year-old mare Shamal Wind took the Oakleigh Plate (Aus-I) in her third attempt to win the race Feb. 28 at Caulfield Racecourse.
The daughter to Dubawi won by three-quarters of a length from Under the Louvre while leading in a one-two finish for trainer Robert Smerdon.
Shamal Wind owners, Rob and Donna Love, requested Smerdon give her another shot at victory in the 1,100-meter (about 5 1/2-furlong) contest despite her 12th-place finish in 2013 and her seventh last year, and she delivered in a career-defining performance. The win was her first in a group stakes and fourth stakes win overall and improved her career line to 8-3-5 from 24 starts. She had eight group placings on her record before Saturday's breakthrough.
I'm All the Talk led most of the way while setting a fast tempo, with Dwayne Dunn rating Shamal Wind to perfection with only a few runners behind her in the 16-horse field. Racing wide down the straight, the mare eagerly responded when called upon late, covering the trip in 1:02.28 on a good track.
Fast 'N' Rocking was a very close third, while Australian champion and favorite Earthquake was a well-beaten 10th.
Bred in Australia by Widden Stud and Mark Edward, Shamal Wind was a 2 1/2-length winner in a stakes Jan. 26 at Sandown Hillside.
"I have to give credit to (bloodstock agent) James Harron here because I thought that at group I she had her opportunities and fallen short, but once she won that stakes race he said that (the owners) wanted to have a crack at the (Oakleigh Plate) and we would keep her fresh and try to make it a group I scenario. They managed it and we did." Smerdon said.
A $55,000 (US$55,168) purchase from Widden Stud consignment at the 2011 Inglis premier yearling sale, Shamal Wind took her racetrack earnings to in excess of Aus$830,000 with Saturday's win.
She was produced by the winning Machiavellian mare Firemaid, a half sister to listed French Stakes winner Bezrin and to the dam of 2013 Rockfel Stakes (Eng-II) winner Al Thakhira, also by Dubawi.
Saturday's card also included the Futurity Stakes (Aus-I), which was won by New Zealand-bred Suavito after she burst through approaching the finish line to defeat group I winners Smokin' Joey and Dissident
The 4-year-old daughter of deceased sire Thorn Park, ridden by Damien Oliver for trainer Nigel Blackiston, scored by 1 1/4 lengths from Smokin' Joey, with favorite Dissident about a close third.
Time was 1:23.05 for the 1,400 meters (about seven furlongs).
Campaigned by a 15-member partnership, Suavito was returning after more than three months off following back-to-back group wins. She captured the Momentum Energy Stakes (Aus-II) Nov. 11 at Flemington after taking the Eliza Park International Stakes (Aus-III) Nov. 25 at Moonee Valley. Saturday's victory was her first at the highest level and her sixth from 16 career starts.
Sauvito was bred by Idl Racing Ltd. from the unraced High Chaparral mare Queen Cha Cha.