Oakleigh Plate winner Shamal Wind won’t get any reprieve and will be aimed towards securing another Group 1 victory over the remainder of the Autumn Racing Carnival.
Shamal Wind and jockey Dwayne Dunn celebrate the Oakleigh Plate win at Caulfield. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Trainer Robert Smerdon hasn’t ruled out taking Shamal Wind to Sydney to run in the Group 1 $400,000 Canadian Club Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 21 or remaining in Melbourne for the Group 1 $400,000 Hacer Group William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley six days later.
“If she goes to Sydney it’s the right distance so she’ll certainly be in the nominations and we’re aiming everything at this stage as if we’re going there,” Smerdon said.
“We’ll see what happens next week but the William Reid remains an option too.”
Shamal Win secured her first Group 1 victory when she beat stablemate Under The Louvre in the $400,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 28.
The consistent mare hasn’t been out of the place since late September last year and recorded four placings, all at Group level, during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
The Dubawi mare was third in the Group 3 $150,000 Sportingbet Sprint Series Heat 2 Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on September 20 followed by a third to Griante in the Group 3 $150,000 Sportingbet Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Caulfield on October 11.
Smerdon then stepped Shamal Wind up to Group 2 level when she finished a close third to dead heaters Miracles Of Life and Bel Sprinter in the Group 2 $200,000 Perri Cutten Caulfield Sprint (1100m) at Caulfield on October 18 before running third again to Vain Queen in the Group 3 $200,000 G.H. Mumm Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on November 6.
Shamal Wind then kicked off her Autumn Carnival campaign in the best possible way with a win over Vatican in the Listed $120,000 W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m) at Sandown on January 26 before taking out the Oakleigh Plate.
The five year old mare has earned $832,975 in prizemoney for her connections from eight wins, three seconds and five thirds from twenty-four starts.
Smerdon is also considering the same options for Oakleigh Plate runner-up Under The Louvre as well as the Group 1 $500,000 Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 16.
“The Galaxy is an option and the William Reid is another option but we’re probably a week away before we commit to a decision,” Smerdon said.
“A lot of the good horses might be moving away from the William Reid because it’s so close to the T.J. Smith (1200m) in Sydney so it might not be as strong as we first thought and The Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide is also an option for him later on as well.”
