Shazee Lee claimed the Hawkesbury Guineas has given Scott Singelton's his biggest win
The biggest win of Scott Singelton’s career was given added significance as Shazee Lee claimed the Hawkesbury Guineas.
Shazee Lee is owned by Dr Max Kowalczuk, a dentist who has been one of Singleton’s most loyal supporters.
“I started training when I was 20 (years old) and I’m 33 now and he has been with me all along,” Singleton said.
“It’s pretty special from that point of view because he was the first owner to give me a horse.”
Shazee Lee belied her odds on Saturday to make the most of a Jay Ford ride that Singleton said was much better than the one Damien Oliver gave her in the Provincial Championship Final.
“Damien was off and gone on her 700 metres and you can’t do that on her,” Singleton said.
“You’ve got to save her up until the last furlong.”
Ford held up his side of the bargain, even if it meant it was touch and go if Shazee Lee saw clear running at the right time.
She did and with a turn of foot that Singleton said was evident on the training track during the week, Shazee Lee was sent out by Luxbet at massive odds of $51 she burst through a gap to beat Prompt Response ($11) by a neck.
Salsonic ($26) finished a short half-head away third.
“I was confident once she saw daylight at the furlong (mark) that she would be in the finish,” Singleton said.
Singleton trains a team of 35 horses at Hawkesbury, a racetrack he has rarely strayed too far from since his childhood.
“My grandfather trained here and I can remember being around the bull ring over the back from the time I was about five,” he said.
“Winning a race like the Guineas on my home track makes it even more special,” he said.
Prompt Response looked the winner when she hit the front despite sitting wide on the speed.
She took over at the 300m but couldn’t match Shazee Lee’s final drive from the back.
