Photo: ultimateracingphotos.com.au
New Zealand-bred mare Shockletz (Shocking) secured her place in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) with a decisive victory in the Gr.3 Lexus Archer Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday.
The Ciaron Maher-trained five-year-old relished the return to Flemington and the addition of blinkers, defeating Think Giant by two and a quarter lengths, with stablemate Jennivamoose another length away in third.
The Archer Stakes carried a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup, giving Shockletz and her connections a guaranteed start in the race won by her sire Shocking in 2009.
Bred and raced by Eales Racing, headed by Laurence Eales, Shockletz carries the same colours made famous by Shocking when he won the Melbourne Cup for trainer Mark Kavanagh.
Saturday's race was run at a strong tempo, with Chief Little Rock turning for home around 20 lengths clear before compounding. Several fancied runners struggled after chasing the strong speed, while Shockletz conserved energy before producing a sustained finish under Harry Coffey.
Maher said the decision to apply blinkers had been influenced by both her previous performance and some family history.
“It was mainly last start. I thought she was having a bit of a lend,” Maher said.
“I could see her prick her ears in the last 100 metres at Caulfield and Jennivamoose actually went past her. I was toying with whether I put winkers or blinkers, but as Lawrence said, Shocking won the Cup with blinkers on, so I thought we would go with them.
“Fortunately, they can dare to dream. The team has done a great job managing her. It has been a long-range plan to get her into the Cup.
“Back at Flemington, blinkers on, she’ll run two miles and they can dare to dream.”
Shockletz has been in work for an extended period.
“She profiles a little like High Emocean,” Maher said. “Lighter style mare that doesn’t take a lot of work, clean-winded and you just have to have them happy and well.
“The longer prep, not a lot of work, suits her.”
With her Melbourne Cup place secured, Maher can now prepare Shockletz specifically for the first Tuesday in November.
“Now that she’s in that race, that was planned and I can work back from there,” he said. “She won’t be over-raced, she will be on the fresher side.”
Coffey, who knows Shockletz well, was pleased to see the blinkers added for Saturday's assignment.
“I was really excited to see in the gear changes that the blinkers were going on,” Coffey said.
“I know her really well and I've been watching her thinking, ‘she needs a set of blinkers’, and when I was booked to ride her and the fields came out with the blinkers on I was pretty confident she'd do something like that.
“It's obviously a bit of a mini grand final, but she peaked on the day and she was brilliant.”
Coffey also recognised the significance of securing a Melbourne Cup runner for the Eales family.
“These colours have had a little bit of success in the Melbourne Cup, so the owners will be absolutely thrilled,” he said.
“She thrives at Flemington, she thrives in staying races, especially when there's pressure on and she’s in the right barn to be training the right way come the first Tuesday in November.”
By Rich Hill Stud stallion Shocking out of the Red Ransom mare Zelt, Shockletz is a full-sister to Group Three-placed stayer Horrifying, a seven-time winner.
Saturday's victory was her seventh from 18 starts and lifted her earnings to A$588,875. She has developed a strong record at Flemington, where her previous victories include the Mahogany Challenge Final (2500m).
