Racing Victoria does not need to look far for its new VOBIS Gold pin-up horse with Shesallshenanigans affirming her affinity for the concept at Sandown on Saturday.
The Simon Zahra-trained filly made it back-to-back wins in two-year-old races restricted to Victorian-bred horses with a brilliant win in the $1 million The Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria Showdown.
It followed a similarly dominant display in the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush at Bendigo for the $115,000 Magic Millions purchase who has banked $729,500 in prizemoney and bonuses at her past two starts.
The daughter of Swettenham Stud stallion Toronado is the horse Zahra has been waiting for after splitting with former training partner Mathew Ellerton two seasons ago and the Flemington horseman was grateful to those who have backed him.
“You’re backing your judgment and your owners are backing you, which is really important in this industry,” Zahra said.
“They’ve let me do what I need to do and obviously Ben (Cooper) and Justin (Docherty) are big backers of mine, so to get a good win so early in after they’ve backed me, it just gives them confidence.
“It’s a special day. I’m rapt for all the owners and all the staff.”
After winning by 4-1/4 lengths at Bendigo, Shesallshenanigans put 3-1/4 lengths on her rivals at Sandown, but not before providing rider Linda Meech with some anxious moments.
Shesallshenanigans was jumping from 1000m to 1200m and met a wet track or the first time since her debut fourth placing in the Debutant Stakes last October but was one of the strongest through the line despite racing on-speed.
The $3.30 betr favourite held a 3-1/4-length margin at the finish with Elphinstone ($31) winning a competitive battle for second that saw Treasurway ($21) just a short-head back, around the same distance in front of Mistavain ($51) with another $51 chance, Arizona Activist, also close up.
“Her wheels really got spinning turning for home and I thought, ‘we’re in trouble now, I’ve stuffed this up, she’s not going to run the trip’,” Meech said.
“But once she got through that home turn, she really kicked into another gear.”
