Black Type Beckons

The Informant's Richard Edmunds writes:

Highly rated mare Shillelagh bounced back to her best at Ruakaka today, beating a strong field in stunning style to continue her rise towards black-type level.

The daughter of Savabeel began her career with a hiss and a roar, making a huge impression with three wins and a second in her first four starts. But she could finish only seventh when she resumed as the $1.70 favourite at New Plymouth last month, later found to have suffered a mild bout of colic.

In today's Ford Kuga 1200, Shillelagh stood up and showed her potential star quality. She sat in sixth place behind a fiery early speed set by Super Lethal, and at the top of the home straight she was giving the leader more than half a dozen lengths.

But rider Matt Cameron asked Shillelagh to quicken and she quickly changed gears, devouring her deficit and racing to the lead inside the last 150 metres. Super Lethal gave brave resistance and Lewis Caroll closed strongly from midfield, but Shillelagh was a class above and sailed clear to win by three and a half lengths.

The time for the 1200-metre Rating 75 contest was a quick 1:10.7.

“When she's right, she could be anything,” co-trainer Jamie Richards said. “It was good to see her back to her best today.

“We think she's up to black type, for sure. We just need to get her up in the rating points a bit more, but that's where she'll end up.

“It's lovely to have a horse like her in the stable for Christopher and Susanna Grace, who have been big supporters of ours for a long time.”

Bred and raced by the Graces, the four-year-old Shillelagh is a full-sister to the Brisbane Cup winner Tullamore.