Super talented Snitzel mare Lady Shenandoah enjoyed a flawless 3YO season winning all five starts at that age including the G1 Coolmore Classic, Surround Stakes and Flight Stakes, but in 10 subsequent starts she had been winless until today.
Trained by Chris Waller, Lady Shenandoah has competed consistently against the elite during that time racking up multiple placings and just need a change of luck to turn the tide.
Burdened with 58kg under the handicap conditions of the $1million Group I MRC Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday, it appeared as though she would be looking at another hard luck story as the field turned for home.
Buried back in the field, it required a masterful ride from James McDonald to get her into clear air and from that point Lady Shen did the rest.
She accelerated quickly with 50 m to run and scored by a long head over lightly weighted contenders Changing Colours and Welcometotheshow.
TWEET
“It's credit to a good horse and a good ride from James. That was one of the best you will ever see with the big weight and for a mare, that's massive. Add in the wide draw and to have a wall of horses in front of them turning for home,” said Chris Waller.
“She's a really good horse and I think that's her fourth Group 1 and she's done it in a handicap, not many horses do that in a handicap after three Group 1's."
James McDonald has ridden Lady Shen in three of her four G1 victories.
"Huge thrill. She hadn't won for a while and I keep saying to everyone that it's not that she doesn't try, she's got great tenacity, but she just hasn't had much luck and she's raced against the best horses in the land,” he said.
"For her to win like that, she aimed up a needle eye gap, she just burst through. An incredible performance, really.
"Great for the team to get her over the line and I think Chris and the team will be over the moon with that because everyone in the stable loves her. You can tell why, she's just a beauty.”
A $525,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Arrowfield for Hermitage Thoroughbreds, Lady Shenandoah has the overall record of six wins and seven placings from 18 starts with prizemoney topping $5million.
She is a three-quarter sister to Group I winner Stronger, who stands at Aquis in Queensland and is the best of five winners from five foals to race from Star Pupil, a winning half-sister by Starcraft to Group III winner Bachman and two more SWs from G1 placed stakes-winner Aint’ Seen Nothin’.
Star Pupil has a yearling colt by Snitzel and has foaled this spring producing a colt by the Autumn Sun.
The reigning champion Australian sire, much missed Arrowfield heavyweight Snitzel is leading the Australian General Sires List again this season and is the first sire to crack $4million in earnings.
