It took Noname Lane six starts to break his maiden, but typical of the Shamus Award breed, he has improved with age and earned a maiden stakes success at six in Wednesday’s Listed Balaklava Cup (1600m).
One of five runners in the race for Will Clarken, Noname Lane overcame an outside barrier under an inspired ride by Todd Pannell to defeat his stablemate Zoulah (Zoustar) by a half-length with Oh Mo (Uncle Mo) a further long neck back in third.
A last start winner over 1050m at Morphettville on September 3, Noname Lane advances his record to eight five two from 21 starts with earnings of $300,025.
Clarken took over the training of Noname Lane in 2019 after he had one run for the retiring Marilyn Smith.
“You would go to war with him every day; he is as tough as the day is long,” Clarken said.
“He has had soundness issues. We have taken our time, and it has paid off.
“It is quite fitting that Todd has won on the horse. He was not able to ride those down on the minimum. He was good enough to win on him the other day. He drew a sticky barrier gate, and he didn’t rush. I was more impatient with the instructions, telling him to force his way across the front of the field.
“In classic Todd style, he has taken his time, got the horse in a beautiful rhythm.”
Bred by Golden Grove Stud Farm and owned by Vic Oldfield’s G & C Pastoral Co Pty Ltd, Noname Lane is a brother to Sovereign Award, whose nine wins are headlined by the Group III VRC Matron Stakes, Group III MRC Ladies Day Vase, and Group III MVRC Tesio Stakes.
They are two of the four winners from five to race out of the winning Show A Heart mare Sovereign Charm, which sold in 2019 for just $1,750 when carrying the unraced Shamus Award gelding Delcredere.
Sovereign Charm has a yearling colt by Barbados and was among the 2016 mares covered by Shamus Award last season.
Noname Lane is the 20th stakes-winner for Shamus Award, who stands this season for a fee of $88,000 at Rosemont Stud.
