Shangri La Boy had not even been to the races five weeks ago, but Adrian Bott is confident the well-related colt can end the week a Group 1 winner.
The three-year-old son of Pierro will have his fourth career start in the $2 million Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.
The 2000-metre event will be run just 38 days after his debut, which resulted in a third placing in a 1250-metre three-year-old maiden at Canterbury.
A fortnight later he won a 1400m maiden at Rosehill before an all-the way win in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m), which secured his Spring Champion start.
Bott, who trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse, recognised it had been a rapid rise but is delighted with the way he is holding together.
“He was excellent there last start in the Gloaming, he was up in grade relatively quickly and up in trip, but it seemed like a dominant performance,” Bott said.
“He’s come out of that in excellent shape. There’s still further improvement in him and, the 2000 metres, he’ll continue to appreciate. He seems in terrific order.”
Shangri La Boy is a half-brother to Magic Millions winner and Golden Slipper placegetter Storm Boy, who Bott and Waterhouse prepared before he was exported to continue his career in Ireland.
Bott said Shangri La Boy was completely different to his famous sibling, a son of Justify who is now standing at stud at Coolmore in New South Wales, and has always shaped as a horse who would get over a bit of ground.
“I think the trip will be OK, he seemed to run it strongly last start,” Bott said.
“He seems in great shape and has plenty of natural staying ability.
“It’s another test again, 2000 (metres) and 2000 at Randwick, so he’s going to have to keep improving, but he has done and he keeps doing that.”
Shangri La Boy is one of 18 entries for the Spring Champion Stakes with Joe Pride-trained Godolphin colt Attica headlining his list of potential rivals, which also includes stablemate Champagne Hero, who is raced in similar interests.
That son of Maurice ran seventh as $4.20 favourite in the Gloaming Stakes, but Bott said he could bounce back with a clearer passage this weekend.
“He was probably unlucky in that same race, he was just held up for a run at a few vital stages,” Bott said.
