History is both for and against highly-rated New Zealand mare Shez Sinsational winning the Group One Doomben Cup on Saturday.
Shez Sinsational goes into the 2000-metre weight-for-age feature as the $4.50 second favourite behind $3.00 favourite Manighar with TAB Sportsbet on the back of her brilliant victory in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast on May 5.
Since the Doomben Cup became weight-for-age in 1990, the Hollindale Stakes has been a good guide with nine winners claiming the double in the same year.
In contrast, the Peter Moody-trained Cinque Cento is the only mare to win the Doomben Cup at weight-for-age when she was successful in 2007.
Cinque Cento’s win also was the first for a mare since Dream in 1950 and only two other mares, Qualeto in 1943 and Cooranga in 1939 have been successful since the first Doomben Cup was run in 1933.
The poor statistics for mares doesn’t bother trainer Allan Sharrock who is pleased with the improvement Shez Sinsational has shown since her Hollindale Stakes triumph.
“She’s a very versatile mare and she’s improved a lot since the Hollindale Stakes,” Sharrock said.
“The Hollindale was the first time she has won on a heavy track and she’s much better on top of the ground.”
Singapore-based Opie Bosson is making the return trip to ride Shez Sinsational in the Doomben Cup following his Hollindale Stakes victory on the four-year-old.
Bosson also rode the daughter of Ekraar when she crossed the Tasman last winter finishing third to Scarlett Lady in the Group One Queensland Oaks and second to Shootoff in the Group One Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm.
Shez Sinsational has won three times at Group One level in the Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, International Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa in February and the Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie in March.
A fourth Group One for Shez Sinsational should guarantee her Horse Of The Year honours in her homeland.
Sharrock has ruled out extending Shez Sinsational’s winter campaign to include next month’s Group Two Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm and is unsure whether she’ll be a Cups contender in Melbourne in the spring.
“She’ll have her next run in the Eagle Farm Cup then we’ll go home and look at the spring there with her,” he said.
“There’s some nice races back home for her but I think it will be a little too tough going to the Cups over here.
“But she’s got a wonderful constitution so I wouldn’t rule anything out yet.”
The Cox Plate at Moonee Valley looms as the main attraction for Shez Sinsational if she returns to Australia in the spring following her assignment in the Group One Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings in October.
