A $6,000 yearling purchase, the 2yo Mikki Isle (JPN) gelding Love Shuck provided Canberra-based trainer Todd Smart a career highlight in the $200,000 Inglis 2yo Challenge (1100m) at Scone on Friday, but he was made to sweat for it.
Ridden by Aaron Bullock, Love Shuck held the fast-finishing Chevron but rolled back to the fence in the closing stages, hampering the third-placed Lulumon.
Kathy O’Hara fired in a protest, which was quickly dismissed.
Love Shuck defeated the Spieth colt Chevron by a half-head,
with the Vancouver filly Lulumon a neck back in third.
A debut winner over 1000m at Albury in February, Love Shuck finished eighth of 11 in the Group III Black Opal Stakes at Canberra on March 12.
“It’s definitely my biggest win. This was a $6,000 purchase,” Smart affirmed.
“Pete Twomey (Wattle Bloodstock) is our bloodstock agent, and I’m delighted he found this horse for us, and all my mates from Gundagai are in it.
“We had our eye on this race from the day we bought him. He showed a bit early, so this was always the target.
“I’m so happy I have tears of joy.”.
Consigned by his breeder Bowness Stud to the 2022 Inglis HTBA May Yearling Sale, Love Shuck was a $6,000 purchase for Wattle Bloodstock (FBAA) / Todd Smart Racing.
The timing could not be better as Bowness consigns a Bon Hoffa half-brother to Love Shuck to the Inglis Gold Yearling Sale at Oaklands on Sunday. (Lot 123)
Love Shuck is the first winner from three to race for the Magic Albert mare Oyster Bell, a half-sister to Group III Rough Habit Plate and Group III Doomben Classic winner Belmonte (Singspiel).
A dual Group 1 winning miler by Deep Impact (JPN), Mikki Isle (JPN) shuttled to Arrowfield Stud for three seasons, the last in 2019.
