Australian sprinter Shamal Wind disappointed connections with a lackluster performance in the 2015 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot overnight.
Shamal Wind (pictured winning the Oakleigh Plate) failed to perform at his best in the 2015 King’s Stand Stakes. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett
There was some betting support for Shamal Wind coming into the King’s Stand Stakes, but the talented mare was slow out of the gates, never looked comfortable and only made up a small amount of ground late to finish 13th behind narrow winner Goldream.
Trainer Robert Smerdon told the media after the race that it was clear that Shamal Wind had not performed at anywhere near her best and had clearly not travelled as well as the stable had originally thought.
“Ryan Moore said he felt her slip behind coming out of the gates which put her back at the start but in saying that she never really came up on the bridle the way she usually does,” Smerdon said.
“He gave her a chance to race the way she usually does but she was just losing ground and in the run to the line she only passed a few tired horses so it was a below-par performance.
“Travelling this far you never know the impact but going into the race she seemed fine to us but the end result wasn’t what he hoped for.”
The King’s Stand Stakes was expected to be the final race start for Shamal Wind before she was served by Northern Hemisphere-based stallion Sea The Stars, but Smerdon revealed that there is a chance that the five-year-old could be transferred to an English trainer and contest a race like the Group 1 July Cup before she begins a new career as a broodmare.
“I’ve spoken to James Harron who manages her for the owners and his thinking was maybe to leave her in training here in England,” Smerdon said.
“Sometimes horses when they’ve had that one run they can come on from it and next time around do themselves justice.
“They’re leaving their options open until they see how she pulls up tomorrow.
“We’ll get the vet to trot her up and then go from there.”
Expat Australian trainer Jeremy Gask narrowly missed out on the biggest win of his training career to date when Medicean Man was only just beaten at the lengthy quote of $50, while the King’s Stand Stakes victory was Goldream’s first at the highest level of racing after only make his debut at Group level earlier this year.
