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Media Award lands Australasian Oaks at Morphettville
Talented filly Media Award (3 f ex Music Media by More Than Ready) handed trainer Chris Calthorpe a first winner at top-flight level when she took out the Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) at Morphettville and in the process also became Rosemont Stud-based sire Shamus Award (Snitzel) with his second elite level winner and 12th overall stakes winner.
Media Award’s rise up the ranks has been swift, with the three-year-old filly having only broken her maiden on her fourth career start at Kyneton on March 29, while was last seen adding a second win to her record over 1700 metres at Geelong.
Ridden by Luke Nolan, the filly stayed on strongly all the way to line to hold off the late advances of VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Personal (Fastnet Rock), eventually beating her a quarter of a length, while Ripper Rita (Street Boss) was another neck away in third.
Calthorpe runs Air Horse Transport and is a well-known face at carnivals around the country for organising flights for trainers.
"Unbelievable," Calthorpe said. "She's a very special horse and one of my best mates, Trumby (Nolen) has ridden her.
"I'm so grateful to (owner) Mark Arrowsmith, he's given me a lot of horses, and the ownership group, the boys from St Bernards and Essendon.
"It's easy to get a horse like her and take them off small trainers and give them to big trainers.
"I said to the boys 'you must have thought I was a dick when I said I wanted to go to the Australasian Oaks'.
"They said that I hadn't lied to them yet and they backed me.
"I'm over the moon."
The filly was purchased by Mark Arrowsmith’s Aintree Park for $5,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale in 2019 from the draft of her breeders Bowness Stud and Arrowsmith said he had reached his limit to secure the filly.
“When I go to the Gold Sale I have a breeding specialist I deal with and he gives me a short list of around 50, I then go to [Inglis Bloodstock Agent] Mark Dodemaide and get his feedback which gets me down to around 30 horses, then I just sit in there at Oaklands – often next to Mark – and if they come through for $5,000 or less I buy them,’’ Arrowsmith said.
“This filly went to the $5,000 and there were no more bids, but I was one bid away from not getting her because I don’t go above my limit.’’
The filly is out of winning More Than Ready (Southern Halo) mare Music Media, who is herself a daughter of Listed winner Harley Ma (Shovhog).
Further back this is the same pedigree as Listed winners Grandy Duchy (Kaoru Star), In The Bahamas (Marscay) and Isolated Duke (Marooned) as well as Group 3 scorer Sister Patricia (Geiger Counter) - the dam of Listed Bush Aviator (Stratum).
In 2019 Music Media produced a filly by Super One (I Am Invincible), who will be offered by Bowness Stud as Lot 324 at the upcoming Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale later this month and Arrowsmith has already set his sights on re-investing in the family.
“The Gold Sale is coming up and it has produced another Group 1 winner, it’s a bloody good sale,’’ Arrowsmith said.
“Her half sister is there, who I want to buy, but I might have to fork out a bit more now!
Last season Media Music foaled a colt by Brave Smash (Tosen Phantom) and she has most recently been covered by Bon Hoffa (Belong To Me).
Media Award joins dual elite level winner Mr Quickie as Shamus Award’s other Group 1 winner.
