On the last day of the Australian racing season, champion first season sire elect Home Affairs posted his 20th first crop winner and he did it with an exciting youngster trained by Ciaron Maher.
A giant of a gelding that has needed time to mature, Shah Jahan cut an imposing figure in the mounting yard towering above his rivals.
Unplaced on debut in a stakes races back in February, he was set aside after that and came to this 1100m maiden at Geelong at his second run back from a spell.
Shah Jajan was allowed to work forward by John Allen and got into a lovely rhythm before giving a good kick in the straight.
He looked set to score an easy win until his unraced stablemate Saintly Dancer launched a late bid and the daughter of St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) made things very interesting when going down by half a head in a thriller with nearly five lengths back to the rest.
Bred by Robert and Barbara McClure’s Morning Rise Stud, Shah Jahan was passed in as a yearling and retained to race in their colours.
Stable representative Fergus Gregory was full of praise for both Shah Jahan and Saintly Dancer.
“I thought the filly went great as she looked beaten at the 200m mark and then grew wings, so she has a bright future and he was fantastic,” he said.
“He just settled upsides at the front and has had a tendency to really get on the bit in the past, but the team has done a great job to get him to relax.
“Rob McClure bred him at his own farm and has had him all the way through, so it’s a really nice story.
“The team have always had an opinion of him and he's just taken a little bit more time than we probably first anticipated, but he's got a bright future.”
John Allen was having his first ride on Shah Jahan and was thrilled to get the right result.
“He was very straight forward. The plan was to get a sit if we could, but he jumped well and the pace was steady so I let him get into a rhythm,” he said.
“He let down really good and quickened and quickened again at the furlong and I though it’s going to take a good one to run me down, so I was surprised to see the filly right there with me on the line.”
Shah Jahan is a half-brother to Group III winner Mumbai Muse, stakes-winner Jazz Etude and stakes-placed Mumbai Jewel and Splendoronthegrass being the seventh winner from eight foals to race from Mumbai Rock.
A well related Fastnet Rock mare from US Group I winner Mani Bhavan (USA), Mumbai Rock had a yearling filly by I Am Invincible sell at Magic Millions this year in the Coolmore draft for $950,000 to Ciaron Maher.
Shah Jahan is the 20th first crop winner for Home Affairs (three in NZ), who has had a big fee increase this spring and stands at Coolmore at for $176,000.
