Shooting To Win Off The Mark

Mark Smith - Friday October 26

Sent out the second favourite on the strength of an impressive barrier trial win at Warwick Farm, the John O'Shea-trained Intrepidacious made every post a winner under Tye Angland in Friday night's 2YO Fillies Maiden (1100m) at Canterbury to become the first winner for Darley Stud's Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting To Win.

Intrepidacious kept up a strong gallop and was never threatened at any stage to defeat Ready's Girl (Better Than Ready) by two and three-quarter lengths with Chia (Rubick) a half-neck back in third.

Winner trainer John O'Shea said he was honoured to train the first winner by Shooting to Win.


"It's great for the stallion Shooting To Win who I brought but never got to train so it's great to train some of his progeny," O'Shea told Sky Racing.

Shooting To Win switched to the Snowden stable when O'Shea took the top job at Godolphin.

Tye Angland described Intrepidacious as foolproof.

"Her trial showed she had that beautiful tactical speed. I would have liked to sit outside one and follow one to help her get around a little bit easier," Angland said.

"The thing I like about it is she is doing it on raw talent - she still doesn't know what its all about so she has plenty of improvement when she works it out."

Consigned by Yarraman Park to book 2 of the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Intrepidacious (Pictured as a yearling) is the first foal of the unraced Fastnet Rock mare Courageous Kitty.

Herself a $400,000 yearling, Courageous Kitty is a sister to Anaheed a hugely impressive winner of the Victory Vein Plate when making her career debut at Randwick a fortnight back and a half-sister to the Frankel colt Farooq who was run down in the shadows of the post in the Listed Geelong Classic on Wednesday.

They are all out of the top-class Testa Rossa mare Rostova who won five stakes races highlighted by the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes and Group II VRC Sires' Produce Stakes.

A son of Northern Meteor, Shooting To Win is a brother to the speedball Deep Field and has beaten him to the punch as both retired to stud in 2015,

Shooting To Win stands the current season at Darley Stud for a reduced fee of $22,000 having covered for $33,000 last spring.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Thronum Gelding Invincible Sage Triumphs in G1 Chairman's Sprint at Sha Tin
It was sixteen years between drinks for trainer David Hall to earn a second win in the Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin courtesy of the progressive Thronum gelding Invincible Sage.
US G3 Winner for Pierro
Australian bred Pierro mare Uncorked started her career in the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable winning a maiden at Sale in August 2022, but is now training in the US where she won the Group III Royal Heroine Stakes (1m) on turf at Santa Anita on Saturday.
New Winner for Shooting to Win
Hallowed Crown was not the only Darley young gun with a winner on the board on Thursday with Shooting to Win also chiming in with a winner of his own at Warrnambool after Testino saluted as a hot favourite.
Jones Exit a Big Win for Victorian Owners
Victorian Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners (TROA) Chairman, Jonathan Munz , claimed a big win for Racing with the forced departure of embattled Racing Victoria CEO , Andrew Jones .
$150,000 Tassort Colt Tops HTBA Sale at Riverside
A “natural 2YO from a fast family’’ topped today’s HTBA Yearling Sale at Riverside in a result that was “far and away more’’ than the vendor was expecting.
Stakes Goals for Shooting to Win's Marscapone
Exciting prospect Mascarpone sent a clear message to his age group rivals that he will be a force to be reckoned with in any of the upcoming three-year-old features after he stormed to victory over 1400m at Awapuni on Saturday.
Kubrick a Star Winner of Inaugural $1million Bondi Stakes
The aggressive stance adopted by Racing NSW in taking on the Melbourne Spring Carnival with a series of lucrative races in Sydney produced a dream result for Star Thoroughbreds on Saturday when classy Shooting to Win colt Kubrick took out the inaugural $1million ATC Bondi Stakes (1600m).
Pedigree Watch – 3YO Ireland – Oaks Hopeful
Classic contenders are popping up all over and Dermot Weld unleashed overnight at Navan for Aga Khan Studs in the Group III Salsabil Stakes (1m2f) at Navan.
Another Debut Winner for Shooting to Win
Darley’s Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting to Win posted his third winner since the start of the new season with an impressive debut victory at Ipswich on Wednesday for Battle Strike.
Bright Future for Shooting To Win 3YO
Co-trainer Graeme Rogerson admits he still hasn’t worked out whether enigmatic three-year-old Mascarpone has a sprinting or staying future ahead of him, but what he does know is that he has an exciting prospect on his hands whichever way the cards fall.