News

Dazzling display from Shamal Wind

8th Nov 2012

Robert Smerdon trained filly Shamal Wind showed her opposition a dazzling turn-of-foot at Flemington on Oaks Day, running away to an ultra-impressive two length victory in the Listed VRC Gucci Icons of Heritage Stakes (1200m).

Shamal Wind ($55,000 2011 Premier, 3f Dubawi-Firemaid) was stepping straight from a Ballarat maiden win to black-type level but handled the jump with ease under Mark Zahra.

The daughter of Dubawi travelled well throughout the 1200m contest for three-year-old fillies and when Zahra said go at the 250m mark she quickened with what racecaller Greg Miles called a “dazzling turn-of-foot” to run away a big winner over Brave Soul and on pace runner Isabella Snowflake. Zahra was equally impressed.

“Very special, you know you’re going alright when you haven’t even pressed the button and everyone else is off the bit. When I said go she put pay to them very quick, I probably could have waited another 200 metres,” Zahra commented on his way back to scale.

“I waited until the 250 metres before I pressed the button and she gave me a very good feel, she could be something special. When I put a loop in the reigns she put three [lengths] on them.

“I think she was a bit crazy early, I did a bit of work on her in the trials and every time her trial got better and then come race day she really showed her best and she’s getting better all the time.”

Bred by Widden Stud & M Edwards, Shamal Wind was purchased from Widden Stud’s draft at the 2011 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $55,000 to trainer Robert Smerdon, who was thrilled with today’s performance.

“We weren’t quite sure how good she was and we thought she’d be competitive but I was a bit put off by the quality of the field which really impressed me,” Smerdon said.

“It was Listed level today but she is clearly going to take the steps next time around. This is her first racing preparation and there’s probably a better race in her in the future.”

“We tried to buy a couple of others, one in New Zealand and one in Melbourne, that were dearer and we couldn’t get them and she was later in the sale and as luck would have we’ve landed on her [Lot 555 from Melbourne Premier] for a quarter of the price we were bidding on the others.”

Shamal Win is the first foal of well related Machiavellian mare Firemaid and has now had two wins from two starts and earned $102,000 for her owners Lenny & Mrs J Lucas.

“Lenny (Lucas) has had a lot of horses for a long time and he’s been terrific with us and he has committed himself to buying a horse every year and this is the start of hopefully some more success for him,” Smerdon added.

Registered as the VRC Red Roses Stakes, the honour roll of today’s event is littered with quality fillies. Lucas’ and Smerdon will be hoping Shamal Wind can continually improve, possibly to Group 1 success like past Red Roses winners Gold Edition, Isca and Dantelah.