A luckless second when on debut at Sandown on July 31, the striking black Brazen Beau filly Blackberry Bomb earned a massive payday for connections in the Ladbrokes Yard Comments Maiden Plate (1200m) at Sale on Thursday.
Ridden by Blake Shinn for Simon Zahra, Blackberry Bomb came with a sweeping run from third last to defeat The Autumn Sun filly Grinzinger Sun with the Bel Esprit filly Legacy Bel back in third.
In addition to the $20,625 winner's cheque, Blackberry Bomb picked up a $100,000 Inglis Xtra bonus.
"It’s awesome, and I have to thank the owners as she wasn’t a cheap filly,” Simon Zahra said.
“I think she is a quality filly. After she got beaten the other day, we were keen to go to the Quezette (Stakes), but Kevin (Payne) rang me and said this was a good option. So, we were happy to come here and leave it to Blake. He summed it up well and got the job done.”
Zahra said it was some concern that Blackberry Bomb was a big drifter in betting.
“I hate that,” he said. I came to the mounting yard to make sure she still had four legs.
There were some nice horses in the race, but I know how much she has improved, and we have not really screwed her down yet.
“We will try and find a nice race for her over the spring.
“She is a half-sister to Shesallshenanigans who won that race down the straight in the spring (Cap D'Antibes Stakes), so that might be a nice target. She will get over more ground as she gets older, so hopefully, we can get a bit of black-type in the next few months.”
A $210,000 pinhook for James Bester when offered by Rushton Park to the 2022 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale, Blackberry Bomb was a $300,000 buy for Simon Zahra Racing / Cameron Cooke Bloodstock from the Segenhoe Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
The daughter of Brazen Beau is a half-sister to the Listed Cap D'Antibes Stakes and $1million Showdown winner Shesallshenanigans (Toronado) and the Listed VRC Amanda Elliott Handicap winner Shelby Cobra (Toronado).
Bred by Chesapeake Thoroughbreds and Newton Thoroughbreds, Blackberry Bomb is the third winner from four to race for the Dane Shadow mare Segenhoe Valley, who was a $325,000 buy for Sheamus Mills Bloodstock on Inglis Digital in 2020 with Shesallshenanigans at foot.
Segenhoe Valley has not had a live foal since Blackberry Bomb, but she is in foal to Toronado (IRE).
