Shamida sets up return to Group One action

Thomas Weekes
August 16, 2024 7:19 pm

Cork victory likely to lead big targets as the season goes on.

Shamida showed the value of her comeback run last month to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes at Cork.

Dermot Weld’s runner had been off for 294 days when finishing sixth in the Curragh Cup and she was clearly better for it, moving nicely into this before putting her head down to see off the front-running Ballydoyle three-year-olds Mother Nature and Lily Heart.

Ridden by Chris Hayes, the Aga Khan-owned four-year-old (4-1) – who ended last season finishing mid-division in the Prix de Royallieu on Arc weekend – was striking at Group Three level for the third time in her career and holds a number of notable engagements.

Kris Weld, assistant to his father, said: “She is a very brave and honest filly and a very good one. We thought she’d win today, we were surprised she wasn’t favourite, but there you go, and she is a triple Group Three-winning filly now.

“The distance (mile and a half) was slightly short for her, but she showed a good turn of foot at the top of the straight. She isn’t a slow filly.

“She has plenty of entries in the autumn, we’ll see how she comes out of this race and pick something nice. She’ll be going back up to Group One level again.”

Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee were out of luck with the well-fancied
La Isla Mujeres in the feature, but did have a nice winner through Super Sox in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms Irish EBF Platinum Stakes.

Progressive at the start of the season, but having her first start since May, Super Sox was sent off the 11-4 joint-favourite and there was not much doubt about the result approaching the final furlong.

Twomey said: “She is a nice filly, all her runs had been good, but she won very impressively running quick sectional times on Guineas weekend. She did a 10.5 and an 11.07 (seconds) for the final two furlongs and the horse she beat won by nine lengths and 11 lengths on his next starts.

“She is big, we gave her time and she has furnished her frame as she was quite light in the spring. She needed to fill and hopefully it’s onwards and upwards. She has an entry in the Ballyogan, but I doubt she’ll run as it is next weekend.

“Billy said she could come back to six furlongs next year and we think she has a good future.”