No-one could have predicted such a nail-biting finish to the Australian first-season sires’ premiership for individual winners.
Charge Forward ($1.15 million) has had the freshman prizemoney premiership sewn up for some time and it looked as though his Arrowfield associate Not A Single Doubt stitched up the winners title when his gelding Not A Snip A Doubt won at Hawkesbury on July 19.
Not A Single Doubt (12 winners) firmed into a $1.50 favourite with Sportingbet last week but now it’s $2.80 each of three after Fastnet Rock and Shamardal joined him in the lead on the weekend.
Darley based Shamardal squared the ledger when Captain Sonador overhauled long-time leader Startling Pleasure in the Trilby Misso Hcp (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday. The winner had been outclassed in black-type company behind Shoot Out and Shellscrape at Eagle Farm in May-June but had run four placing in 10 starts prior to breaking through.
Captain Sonador (2g Shamardal – Pushing Daises by Kenny’s Best Pal) is from a winning half-sister to Umaline (Umatilla), a G2 winner of the VRC Kewney Stakes (G2) at Flemington. Umaline is the dam of SAJC South Australia Stakes (LR) winner Fasline (Fasliyev).
Pushing Daisies has a yearling colt by General Nediym and, ironically, travelled to Arrowfield last September to be covered by Not A Single Doubt.
Fastnet Rock filly Luce Del Mare compounded the log-jam at the top of the table when she won the BP Athol Park Hcp (1050m) at Morphettville 15 minutes after Captain Sonador saluted in Brisbane.
Luce Del Mare (2f Fastnet Rock – Cosmic Strike by Made of Gold) is trained by Mark Kavanagh and she put the writing on the wall when resuming behind Orbiting Belle at Flemington on July 4. She was always prominent second-up and held off the closers to score by a long head.
Coolmore resident Fastnet Rock got the winner from VRC Gilgai Stakes (G3) winner Cosmic Strike. Luce Del Mare was bred by Barree Stud and her dam has since foaled colts by Tale Of The Cat and Exceed And Excel.
The first-season individual winners title will be one of several premierships to be decided on the last day of the season this Wednesday.