Trainer Fraser Auret has had a big opinion of promising three-year-old Sheez Dominant since she first entered his Marton stable and the daughter of Vanbrugh went a long way to living up to his expectations when she broke her maiden status with a stunning victory in the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1340m) on Saturday.
Sheez Dominant wins the Wanganui Guineas - Peter Rubery Race Images
The flashy chestnut filly with the big white blaze was easy to spot throughout the contest as rider Madan Singh had her settled nicely against the rail behind the pace after making full use of her inside barrier.
As the field fanned wide entering the home straight, Singh shot Sheez Dominant to the front along the inner where she maintained a powerful gallop to the finish, winning handsomely by three lengths from debutant Mr Mojo Risin’ and the well fancied last start winner, Accidental Tourist.
“She is a filly we have held in very high regard from day one,” Auret said.
“She had two runs as a two-year-old and then she went back to the property of Mike Bentley, who is one of her owners, to spell over the winter.
“It is a credit to him that she came back to us in such magnificent condition and she has just thrived since she has been back in work.
“I was pretty nervous about starting her today as she had missed a trial and had only had the one jumpout to really fit her for the race.
“Then the rain came and she is a filly who can get through the wet conditions but is probably best suited with just a little sting out of the surface.
“As it turns out she was still too good for them and that gives me a lot of hope for her as we press ahead during the spring.”
Auret has Sheez Dominant entered for the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 12 and will set a programme for her aimed at that blue riband event.
“We’ve got her entered for the 1000 Guineas and it would be fantastic if we could get her there,” he said.
“She is out of a Rip Van Winkle mare and I think with what we have seen and her pedigree then she will be best suited over a mile to 2000m.
“She seems to have good stamina and that was evident today as she was very strong at the finish off the back of a pretty limited preparation so it augurs well for the future.”
Auret also admitted he was feeling quite emotional at the winning post as the victory was the first at stakes level for Singh who has established himself as a favourite at the Auret stable.
“I’m just so pleased for Madan and when he hit the line and had a wee salute, I had a tear in the eye and was going off as much as he was,” Auret said.
“He has been with me for over eight years and is just a wonderful person, an extremely hard worker and he deserves to be rewarded like that for all the effort he puts in.”
Offered as a weanling by her breeder Windsor Park Stud on gavelhouse.com, Sheez Dominant was purchased by co-owner Michael Bentley for $1,000.
Sheez Dominant is the first stakes-winner for Encosta de Lago's G1 winning son Vanbrugh.
She is from the second crop of Windsor Park’s Group One winning son of Encosta de Lago in Vanbrugh and becomes the first stakes winner for the stallion who stands at a fee of $6,000+GST (LFG) for the 2022 breeding season. – NZ Racing Desk
