A first stakes win for Shoreham at Flemington on Saturday was a moment to savour for trainer Saab Hasan and reason to dream of Derby success in Adelaide.
The Hasan-trained Shoreham raced away with the Listed Galilee Series Final over 2500m to book his place in next month’s South Australian Derby and give the trainer the biggest win of his career.
Shoreham winning Race 4 at Flemington - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
Hasan, 41, has trained a small team at Flemington for close to a decade, but said he had worked at the track since he was 14, starting out as a stablehand.
Shoreham, who was bought from Lloyd Williams last year, gave him his first Flemington winner last June and his first stakes win on Saturday.
“When you’ve worked here all your life and you’ve been in the game all your life and you’ve poured your heart and your soul into it, it’s the pinnacle,” Hasan said.
“I said to the family today, `win, lose or draw, we’ve just got to be proud that we got here’.”
Shoreham came from a midfield position on the point of the corner and was angled into the clear at the 400m mark by jockey Chris Symons.
Once in the clear, Shoreham ($4.60) quickly moved past his rivals and went away to defeat Bel Thor ($18) by 3-1/2 lengths, with another short head to Green Roller ($11) third.
Hasan said it was a good effort from the gelding as his original target had been the Bendigo Guineas over 1600m.
“But all the horse wanted to do was stay,” the trainer said.
The South Australian Derby (2500m) on May 4 is the next target as long as the gelding pulls up well, and Symons believes he’ll be a genuine chance.
Hasan said he would look to take Shoreham to Adelaide early to help him prepare for the Derby.
