The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained mare Shout the Bar was not in great form heading to Melbourne for the Group I VRC Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday, but with blinkers fitted and Damien Oliver on board she found her old spark.
The classy four year-old daughter of Not a Single Doubt won the Group I ATC Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) last season showing her class, but her three runs this spring were below expectation.
She made a lie of that form when finishing with great determination between runners to edge out Group I Thousand Guineas winner Odeum on the line by a whisker with another three year-old filly Forbidden Love in third place.
"She's been a fantastic mare for us so far in her first campaign. Incredibly tough the way she kept fighting there. She looked beaten on a number of occasions. I love the way she just picked herself up,” said Adrian Bott, who believes blinkers and a strong ride from Damien Oliver helped her find form.
"Her form looked pretty plain on paper coming into today. We could make some genuine excuses all the way through, so it was good to see her bounce back today.”
A $200,000 Magic Millions purchase for her trainers from the Newhaven Park draft, Shout the Bar runs in the Mystery Downs colours for a big syndicate of owners and has the impressive record of four wins and a second from nine starts with prizemoney just shy of $1million.
Bred by Ron Finemore in partnership, Shout the Bar is the first foal from metro winning O’Reilly mare Drinks All Round, who comes from the family of dual Group I winner and $2.2million earner Rangirangdoo.
Drinks All Round has foaled this spring producing a colt by Not a Single Doubt that is a full brother to Shout the Bar.
The success of Shout the Bar will push her now retired sire Not a Single Doubt even further ahead on the Australian General Sires List, which he leads by quite a margin following the win of his son Classique Legend in the $15million Everest.
