Most experts anticipated that the progeny of Shamus Award would really hit their straps as three-year-olds, and it would appear that they were correct.
Currently sitting fifth on the second season sires' list by winners, Shamus Award (who brilliantly captured the W.S. Cox Plate as a three-year-old maiden) struck a purple patch recently with seven winners in just five days.
He also had his first stakeswinner over the weekend, with
Classic WeiWei posting a tough victory in the Port Adelaide Guineas.
Top performers this season include the aptly-named Mr Quickie (winner of seven from ten and $375,000, including the Mornington Guineas) and the stakes-placed Causeway Girl.
The dual Group One-winning stallion also has some promising types in the wings, including the winning half-sister to She Will Reign and Time to Reign, Rosina Koronup. Trainer Bjorn Baker is looking at a Brisbane winter campaign and some black type races for her. "I think she's definitely stakes class," he says. "She showed really good ability last time." Bjorn says Shamus Award is "leaving some nice horses - I'm seeing them starting to win."
"He's been on a good roll of late," agrees Widden studmaster Antony Thompson, who is unsurprised by the breed's ability to improve sharply at three. Importantly, he says, the strong numbers that Shamus Award has coming through will certainly hold him in good stead. "We believe he's going to make a really solid stallion, particularly of three-year-olds, in and around the mile range."
Breeding to 'the best sons of the best sons' has long been a recipe for success. With the Danehill sireline once again in the spotlight due to the sad passing of Redoute's Choice, Shamus Award - being by Snitzel, arguably Redoutes' best son – has a proud legacy to uphold, but in just his second season at stud he's already getting the job done.
The market is reacting favourably to Shamus Award's recent strike rate. Two of the top ten lots sold at the recent Adelaide Magic Millions sales were by the imposing brown. Respected judge Leon Macdonald says of the $150,000 filly he bought: "She's a very nice type of filly, and he [Shamus Award] was a very good horse himself…a Group One winner in a good race. I see no reason why he can't make the grade."
It's a little-known fact that the Shamus Award is a literary prize given to the best detective novel published each year. But it doesn't take much detective work to find out where the value is in the Hunter this season!
Shamus Award stands at Widden Stud this season for $11,000
