Down to a field of just five, Bjorn Baker’s 3yo Shalaa (IRE) filly Swordplay showed brilliant speed throughout to pull clear and win the Hawaii Five O @ Vinery Stud Handicap (1000m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday by more than three and a half lengths.
Second the start prior to Godolphin’s Crepe Myrtle, the fleet footed filly jumped straight to the lead under Rachel King where she was many lengths clear in a just matter of strides.
Maintaining a solid tempo throughout, the short-priced favourite was six lengths clear passing the 600m with nothing behind really making any ground.
Heading into the home straight, King still had plenty of horse underneath her as Swordplay just kept going, pulling clear to win by three and a half-lengths from Joe Pride’s 4yo All Too Hard mare Indefensible with Nathan Doyle’s Formal three parts of a length back in third.
With two wins and a second from her four starts to date with earnings of $93,250, it surely won’t be her last.
Speaking post-race, assistant trainer Luke Hilton was on course.
“Yeah, it was fantastic,” enthused Hilton. “She just nailed the jump today, which was a big difference. Last start, she just had to use a bit of extra petrol to get through gears, and it told the difference on her.
“She was able to ping the lids and put them to bed pretty early and travelled well once she got there.
When asked what the plans were moving forward, there seemed to be a few options.
“I think there's a little bit on offer for at the moment. We just want to get her through a grade. She's a Magic Millions horse, so we may have to look at a few options up there for her. So, we love to find a race for her up there.
“She's a lovely filly. I think she's still a preparation away from furnishing and in filling out.
“She's an exciting filly who's got blistering early speed, and Rachel's always said that she's never had a horse come out quicker. So she showed that today, which was good.”
Having ridden the filly in three of her four starts, Rachel King knows her well.
“Just last start, she just had a little lunge at the gates just before they opened and it just put us slightly off when she finished second.
“But nine times out of ten, she's probably one of the fastest horses I've ever ridden out of the gates, and she gets really low and quick in those first probably four strides She's unbelievably fast.
“Once she gets there, she actually sort of pricked her ears today and I felt like she's naturally fast, so she's always going to be quick.
“She relaxed as well as she probably ever has done, and she did feel like she sort of filled up her lungs before the corner, which was what we wanted her to do. But every time she stepped out, she's got better and better. She's done the same at home in the trials, and I think the more racing she does, she'll get better.
“So, she is still learning, and it's hard because she's such a fast horse. You just think of her being sort of so straightforward, but she's actually still quite immature. So there's a there's plenty more to come on.
Purchase for Satomi Oka Bloodstock (FBAA) and Omen Bloodstock from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $150,000, Swordplay is one of four winners from five to the races out of the imported Street Cry mare Adviso (USA).
A half-sister to the Listed winner Sailing Solo and to the dam of Listed winner Al Musmak, Adviso is also the dam of Shalaa’s Group 3-winning, Group 2 placed Recommendation.
Adviso’s current 2yo is the unraced The Autumn Sun filly name Burning Love in the ownership of Arrowfield Stud and after unfortunately missing to Snitzel last season, foaled a filly by the multiple Champion Sire this season
Standing at a fee of $19,800 (inc. GST) this season at Woodside Park Stud, Shalaa is the sire of 21 stakes winners highlighted in Australia by the Group 1 AJ Moir Stakes winner Mornington Glory.
