Putting in a forget run last time out when going too hard and running out of steam late, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s G3 ATC Gimcrack Stakes winner Shiki bounced back on Saturday, pulling clear to win the $150,000 Aquis Gold Pearl QTIS 2YO (1100m) at the Gold Coast.
With punting public slightly unsure if she could bounce back or not, it was her stablemate and recent debut winner By Choice, who started the favourite in the field of ten just ahead of Shiki with fellow Randwick trained filly Tigeroni starting on the third line of betting for the O’Shea and Charlton yard.
Unlike her previous two starts, Shiki was restrained when the gates opened with the daughter Too Darn Hot allowed to find her feet early and settle in fifth while stablemate By Choice was planted wide after missing the start slightly an unable to secure a position.
As Kelly Schweida last start winner Scartoon took the field into the home straight, there were plenty of runners lining up out wide to tackle him.
Hitting the lead at the 300m mark, jockey Tim Clark swept to the lead aboard Shiki and the race was all over, racing away, eased down on the line to win by a little over a two lengths, in quicker time than Itchintogo recorded when winning the race prior, the Aquis Gold Nugget QTIS 2YO (1200m).
Coming out of the pack to finish second, edging out Tigroni who took third, the Chris And Corey Munce trained Cool Aza Beel filly Double Cool is a half-sister to last Saturday’s winner Cool Jakey (Pierro) who is likely to be seen next Saturday at the Gold Coast.
Set to have an easy week ahead of contesting next Saturday’s $3m Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m), Shiki is looking to go one better than the Waterhouse/Bott trained Platinum Jubilee who also won the Gimcrack, before finishing second in the Magic Millions.
The last Gimcrack winner to take out the Magic Millions was the Ciaron Maher trained Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) who won the race at just her third start before finishing third in the G1 Golden Slipper at her fourth start.
“She did a few things wrong first-up,” Bott said.
“We know she's explosive and has a good turn-of-foot but we just had to harness it and do it the right way which is obviously important going into the big grand final next week.
“She had a good couple of weeks and arrived really well. This week, she really started to relax and did what we wanted to see in her work.
“We had this particular set-up in mind for her which has been quite successful. We wanted her to have a look at the track here.
“She'll potter around for the week and hopefully she'll be hopefully she'll be nice and fresh for next week.”
Shiki’s Gold Coast victory took her overall record to two wins from three starts with earnings of $235,100.
Bred by Cornerstone Stud Farm Pty Ltd and Millar Racing, Shiki was initially offered at the Inglis Weanling Sale where she was secured for $150,000 by Riverstone Lodge and Suman Hedge Bloodstock.
The filly was then reoffered at the Magic Millions yearling sale where she was knocked down to Kurrinda Bloodstock and Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing for $420,000 from the draft of Riverstone Lodge.
Shiki is one of two winners, and the first stakes winners from three to races from the Exceed And Excel mare Jest Excel, herself a half-sister to the Group 2 Maribyrnong Plate winner Jiang – Blue Genes (HK).
Just Excel foaled an Ole Kirk filly the following season with Riverstone Lodge set to offer the Cornerstone Stud-bred filly as Lot 405 on the second day of selling at next week’s Magic Millions yearling sale.
The mare has since foaled a filly in November from the third crop of dual G1 winner Artorius.
Shiki is one of 31 stakes winner for Too Darn Hot (GB), who covered an impressive book of 110 mares in his last Australian season at a fee of $275,000 (inc. GST) alongside his multiple G1-winning son Bradsing who covered 158 and a fee of $66,000 (inc. GST).
