Two from Two - Shillelagh Shines

Getting her racing career underway on the best note possible, Shillelagh (3 f Savabeel - Trocair, by Flying Spur) won the Pahiatua Travel Centre/Beale Trucking Maiden 1200 metres on April 16 at Woodville.

The victory capped a good day for trainer Jason Bridgman, with his only other runner Imperium (Encosta De Lago) winning over 2100 metres earlier on the card, while rider Lisa Allpress, also aboard Imperium, was notching her third success.

“It was a lovely first up performance,” said Bridgman. “She did it quite easily, is a filly that's shown promise and we waited until the autumn with her as she comes from quite a slow maturing family.

“Coming through the summer preparation we felt she would appreciate a bit more give in the tracks, so we freshened her and she's got off to the perfect start.

“The plan is to put her aside now and once returned I feel she is a filly that could work through the grades. She will only get better with more time, and as she learns to race and gets over further distance. But she certainly has her share of speed,” she said.

Bred and owned by Christopher Grace QSM and his wife Susanna, Shillelagh had indicated in the manner of her recent second at the Cambridge trials that she could be a definite player on debut and the $6.50 & $2.30 dividends confirmed her support.

On track conditions that continued to improve from the initial Slow7 rating, Shillelagh covered the 1200 metres in a respectable 1:11.1 and won by one and three quarter lengths.

Shillelagh is the fifth Savabeel (Zabeel) foal from the mare, after the first foaling resulted in producing Brisbane Cup (Gr. 2, 2400m) winner Tullamore [$827,000 in stakes], and Te Akau principal David Ellis purchased her year younger two-year-old sister Grazia for $100,000 at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Little Avondale Stud.

Shillelagh is also closely related to Wellington Cup (Gr. 2, 2400m) Graphic (Volksraad).

Again it was an exemplary ride by Allpress that helped enable Shillelagh to prevail. From barrier three, the pairing took up a handy position before steadying to seventh through the run to be five lengths astern at the 600m. Rounding the turn with plenty to offer, she quickened two off the fence on straightening, when the gap presented, and required minimal urging to score with plenty of authority.

Picture credit - www.raceimages.co.nz