Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday September 8

Any breeder would love to walk out to the paddock in the morning and see the field assembled for Saturday's Group II Irresistible Pools Sheraco Stakes. Significantly none of the 13 acceptors would have made the page of top-priced yearlings.

Robert Heathcote's homebred Star Turn mare Startantes heads the weights courtesy of her Group 1 penalty.

You can make a case for the Pride Of Dubai's near $2 million earner  Bella Nipotina being among the most underrated mares in the nation as she lines up for her 24th black-type appearance.

It's Me (image Brisbane Race Club)

The Star Thoroughbred colour-bearer Espiona looked a world-beater when trotting up by six and a half lengths at Flemington on Victoria Oaks Day last November. The daughter of Extreme Choice has been competitive at the top level and proved she is in form with a four-and-a-half lengths romp in the James HB Carr Stakes at Randwick in April.  

Espiona is likely to fight out favouritism with the Gillard family's Rubick mare Shades Of Rose who will be making her stakes debut. Shades Of Rose could quite easily be eight for eight. After three consecutive wins, she put on a buckjumping exhibition after her saddle slipped when favourite over 1100m at Rosehill in July. She was caught wide the trip when edged out by The Big Easy at Rosehill, but in her three subsequent starts at Rosehill, nothing has got within three lengths of her.

The Scone-trained It's Me has a massive fan club in the bush. After a tendon injury caused the daughter of Shamus Award to make a belated debut at the age of four, she proceeded to reel off four consecutive wins culminating in the $1.3 million The Kosciuszko in October 2020.

Advertisement

It's Me a $65,000 Inglis Classic yearling

The tragedy struck again with another tendon injury.

The Brett Cavanough-trained mare was on the sidelines for the entirety of 2021. She met defeat for the first time in February this year when sixth in the Group II Triscay Stakes, won by the high-class Snapdancer.    

Not beaten far when eighth in the Listed ATA/Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m) down the Flemington straight on March 5, It's Me earned a further two months break.

She was never a factor when last of 12 in the Group II Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm on April 30 but bounced back to enter the winner's stall for the first time in just shy of two years in a class 6 over 1000m at Eagle Farm on August 27.

Could it be an omen that the horse she beat, Red Rubi, is a sister to Shades Of Rose?

At the age of six, It's Me has started just eight times with five wins and  $866,600

Bred by John Carter, It's Me was a $65,000 purchase for Grand Syndicates from the Kitchwin Hills draft at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

A half-sister to Listed winner Yourein (Reset) and stakes-placed Off The Rails (Snitzel), It's Me is the ninth foal of the talented Celtic Swing mare It's You.

A half-sister to the Listed MRC Heatherlie Handicap winner Honest Politician (Distorted Humor) and stakes-placed Off The Rails (Snitzel), It's You won little more than a Ballarat maiden for Archie Alexander. But she finished second to Tarcoola Diamond in the Listed Great Western Stakes at Flemington in the race proceeding Media Puzzle's memorable Melbourne Cup.   

Now pensioned, It's You is a descendant of Schiaparelli's Classic winning daughter Herringbone.

A half-sister to the successful stallion Masthead (GB) (the sire of Matrice and VRC Oaks heroine Amarco, the dam of the champion Tobin Bronze), Herringbone became an influential mare in her own right.

The winner of the One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket and St Leger Stakes, Herringbone is the dam of Princess of Wales's Stakes winner Dogger Bank (also a successful sire in Australia), Nassau Stakes winner Dilettante, and Doncaster Cup winner Entente Cordiale.  

Like Incentivise, It's Me comes from the second crop of Rosemont Stud's Cox Plate hero Shamus Award.

After his fee fell to $11,000 in 2018 and 2019, the son of Snitzel sports a new and improved fee of $88,000 this spring after covering 216 mares last season at $33,000.  

 

Visit the profile page for Shamus Award

Shamus Award in upcoming sales:
Advertisment
More Reading...
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Shamus Award's It's Me Stays Perfect in Kosciuszko
There was plenty against the favourite It’s Me in Saturday’s $1,300,000 The Kosciuszko (1200m) at Randwick. However, this undefeated daughter of Shamus Award is a class apart.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.