3 minute read

Son of Arrowfield shuttler Shalaa heading to the Golden Slipper Stakes

Shaquero (2 c Shalaa - Fimatino by Not A Single Doubt) will return to Rosehill in seven days’ time for the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) after he landed the Pago Pago Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) on Saturday. 

Trained by Chris Waller, the son of first-season Arrowfield Stud shuttler Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) was looking for atone for his last start failure in the Skyline Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) last month, having taken out the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) in January and he finished off strongly to beat Tiger Of Malay - who is by Newgate Farm’s first-season sire Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) - by a nose, while Mazu - a son of first-season sire Maurice (Screen Hero) was another long-neck away in third. With Your Blessings (Vadamos) and stakes winner Ingratiating (Frosted) finished fourth and fifth respectively, meaning the first five home were by first-season sires. 

Waller said he does not foresee the quick back-up into next week’s Golden Slipper as any cause for concern for the colt. 

"He needs to be kept up to the mark and he'll be fitter again in seven days," Waller said.

"He'll be even better again next week. He's a really thickset, strong horse and he's had his final gallop today."

All three of Shaquero’s victories have come in stakes company, with the colt having landed the Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) on debut in October and his total prize-money earnings now stand at $1,372,075. 

Bred by Bob Hannon and purchased by his trainer and Guy Mulcaster for $160,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale last year from the Fernrigg Farm draft, the two-year-old is out of dual-winning mare Fimatino (Not A Single Doubt). 

Fimatino is herself a half-sister to Listed winner Catacaos (Catbird) and the dam of Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner and now Rosemont Stud sire Shamus Award (Snitzel), who was also bred by Hannon. 

In 2019 Fimatino produced a filly by Yarraman Park-based sire Hellbent (I Am Invincible), who was purchased by The Racing League for $360,000 this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Tyreel Stud draft. 

Last year the mare produced a colt by Coolmore Stud-based sire Rubick (Encosta De Lago) and has most recently been covered by Newgate Farm-based sire Cosmic Force (Deep Field), who just finished covering his first book of mares at the New South Wales-based stud. 

Shalaa has sired 27 winners in total and his other stakes winner is King Shalaa. The son of Invincible Spirit (Green Desert) has seven lots catalogued at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, which gets underway on April 7.