Recording her third race victory, Shane Nichols and Hayden Black’s Blondie’s Award went back to back when winning on the synthetic at Ballarat before David Pfiffer’s Vain Temptress upset the favourite, making a winning debut at Hawkesbury to give Rosemont Stud’s Shamus Award an interstate double.
Coming off a win over 1017m at Moe, jockey Jye McNeil jumped Blondie’s Award away from barrier 7, going forward to settle in third behind Raging Monkey and The Gov, albeit racing slightly wide.
Swinging into the home straight, McNeil started to urged his mare along as the 4yo quickly ranged up to the leading pair before accelerating away from the field.
Coming home well from back in the back, Luke Oliver’s Helluva Party weaved through the field closer to the inside, going down by three parts of a length in what was a promising run for the topweight who was carrying 62.5kgs.
With three wins and two placed efforts from nine starts, the Innisfree Thoroughbreds bred and raced mare is one of three winners from three to the races out of the Listed-winning Reward For Effort mare Blondie.
Not served in 2023, Blondie foaled a filly in the spring by Lofty Strike before being covered by dual G1-winning Dundeel stallion Celestial Legend in his first season at stud.
A little over an hour later, another 4yo Shamus Award mare found herself in the winner’s enclosure, this time when David Pfiffer’s Vain Temptress made her debut over 1100m at Hawkesbury.
With two trials under her belt, Vain Temptress was one of five runners in the eight-horse field who started under double figure odds behind the Peter Snowden trained Union and Mayweather who were the first and second favourites.
Jockey Regan Bayliss flew the gates aboard Vain Temptress before allowing the 4yo to settle in third place as the Snowden pair went forward to settle one-two.
Coming off a last start third, well-bred Snitzel colt Union took the field into the home straight and while Mayweather was still there, he wasn’t making the required ground to trouble the leader, but Vain Temptress was.
Darting back to the inside rail as the favourite appeared a little wayward, Bayliss got the best out of the daughter of Shamus Award as she pulled clear for what was an impressive length and three quarter victory over Union.
Racing well into third, Cambridge Stud’s Savabeel filly Latest Flame (NZ) looks one to watch as the distances increase.
Purchased for just $8,000 from the Inglis Premier yearling sale draft of Golden Grove by Gong Racing, David Pfieffer Racing and Koolman Bloodstock, the mare has doubled her purchase price from just her one start.
The third winner and final foal out of the Bel Esprit mare Vain Attraction, a half-sister to the dam of Restricted Listed Inglis 2YO Premier winner Kinky Boom, Vain Temptress is bred on the successful Shamus Award x Bel Esprit pedigree cross that has recorded 13 winners from 15 runners including the dual G3-winning, G1 placed Swats That.
Set to stand at a fee of $33,000 (inc. GST) this season, G1 WS Cox Plate winner Shamus Award is the sire of 33 stakes winners highlighted by six individual G1 winners and can be viewed in person at Rosemont Stud’s annual stallion parade on August 28 – click HERE to RSVP.
