Arriving at the Group 1 Coolmore Classic second-up hasn’t been a deliberate ploy by connections of Shohisha, but it might prove fortuitous if she can replicate her deeds of the past.
The four-year-old has won three of her four second-up runs and after overcoming a minor setback, trainer David Payne is happy she is ready to peak at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
“She had a few setbacks along the way so that held us back a little bit,” Payne said.
“She just kicked the box. Nothing serious, but once you treat them you can’t run them.
“We’re very happy with her. She is spot-on for Saturday.”
A four-time winner, Shohisha resumed with a solid fourth to Saturday’s Coolmore Classic (1500m) rival Verona Rose in the Guy Walter Stakes (1500m) on February 28.
She meets that mare four kilos better at the weights and has a midfield draw in barrier six.
Payne came closest to winning a Coolmore Classic when Gallant Tess finished third to Typhoon Tracy in 2009 and knows luck in the run will be key for his charge this weekend.
“I think she will be competitive. We’re going in happy with her, but in racing, you always need luck in running so hopefully it goes our way,” he said.
“We have been patient with her. We haven’t pushed her. We’ve just let her mature a bit because she was a light-framed baby.”
The experienced horseman will also saddle up Persian Wonder in the Pago Pago Stakes (1200m), a race he hopes can be another stepping stone towards a mile feature later in the carnival.
“I doubt he could win that over 1200, but he will be running on strongly. They just might be a bit sharp for him,” Payne said.
“He needs racing because he will be more effective over 1600 metres in those kind of races like the Fernhill Handicap or the Champagne Stakes.”
