3 minute read

Son of Shamus Award warms up for Stradbroke

Dual Group 1 winner Mr Quickie (Shamus Award) pleased trainer Phillip Stokes with a sharp jumpout on his home track at Pakenham on Tuesday in the lead-up to the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m) on June 12.

The five-year-old worked over 1000 metres under jockey Ben Allen, with Stokes later saying he's confident the gelding is working just as well as he was leading into his previous Group 1 assignments.

Connections are hoping the son of Shamus Award (Snitzel) can keep his perfect Queensland record intact when he heads up to Queensland in two weeks leading into the Stradbroke.

The popular gelding is striving to add to his earlier victories in the Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) in June 2019 and last spring's Toorak Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m).

"He was sharp in his work this morning and we're really happy with how he's tracking into the Stradbroke," Stokes told Racing.com. 

"He led them out and definitely showed that he's fresh and ready to go.

"He'll have one more piece of work before hopefully flying up to Queensland on the Tuesday leading up to the Stradbroke, hopefully everything is worked out with the planes and he'll be able to fly up how he did before winning the Derby.

"He'll work the reverse way for that final piece of work, but we don't have any concerns with him going that way as he's already obviously raced up in Queensland and Sydney before.

"He's really enjoying racing between 1400 metres-1600 metres, so the Stradbroke is right in his sweet spot and we can't wait to get him up there."