Shamus Award – The Rise and Rise

Tara Madgwick - Sunday July 10

Having delved into the 2021 mare book for Cox Plate winning sire So You Think last week, we thought it would be interesting to investigate another Cox Plate winning sire and this one covered the dam of the world’s best sprinter last spring.

As a Cox Plate and Australian Guineas winner, Shamus Award was the Champion 3YO of his generation, but it’s really only been in the last year that the son of champion sire Snitzel has been given the respect he deserves as a sire.

The current season has been a particular eye opener with Shamus Award producing six stakes—winners, all of them Group winners and three of them Group I winners in Incentivise, Duais and El Patroness.

Shamus Award started his career at Widden Stud, but is now in Victoria with Rosemont Stud, who set his fee at $33,000 last spring.

Breeders were quick to sniff out a sire on the up, still priced at value and Shamus Award covered 216 mares making him the busiest sire in Victoria and the second busiest in the country behind only Capitalist.

The best is still to come for Shamus Award.

This year he has been priced more in keeping with his stature at $88,000 and will no doubt cover his best ever book of mares, but the foals in the pipeline for this year hold plenty of interest with one in particular set to garner international media attention.

A couple of the Group I producers covered by Shamus Award in the list below did not go in foal and Spectacula, (dam of dual Group I winner Global Glamour) sadly died in December last year.

Advertisement

We can however confirm that Nature Strip’s dam Strikeline is safely in foal and is due in late September.

STAKES WINNERS

Mare

Born

Country

Damsire

Best win

Mirjulisa Lass

2007

AUS

Danasinga

G1

Azkadellia

2011

NZ

Shinko King

G1

Vintedge

2005

AUS

Flying Spur

G2

Winterinthewoods

2005

SAF

Western Winter

G2

Tahanee

2012

ARG

Stormy Atlantic

G3

Ana Royale

2013

AUS

Anacheeva

G3

Fancy Feet

2009

AUS

Fath

G3

Hear The Chant

2013

AUS

Nicconi

G3

Pixilim

2013

BRZ

Agnes Gold

G3

Unchain My Heart

2006

AUS

Al Maher

Listed

Sweet Cheeks

2007

AUS

General Nediym

Listed

Sophia Babe

2006

AUS

Iglesia

Listed

Marveen

2005

AUS

Orientate

Listed

Blondie

2014

AUS

Reward For Effort

Listed

Cosmic Alert

2015

AUS

Star Witness

Listed

Scratchy Lass

2011

AUS

U S Ranger

Listed

Dance To My Tune

2004

CAN

Stravinsky

Listed

Its Time For Magic

2013

NZ

Per Incanto

Listed

STAKES PRODUCERS

Mare

Born

Damsire

Horse

Best Win

Strikeline

2000

Desert Sun

Nature Strip

G1

Admirelle

2003

General Nediym

Sizzling

G1

Condesaar

2004

Xaar

Yankee Rose

G1

Special Favour

2009

General Nediym

Mr Quickie

G1

Spectacula

2004

Testa Rossa

Global Glamour

G1

Sure You Can

2010

O'Reilly

El Patroness

G1

Generous Nature

2003

Carnegie

Savvy Nature

G2

Take All Of Me

2005

Jeune

I'Ll Have A Bit

G2

Attessa

2006

Belong to Me

High Seas Beauty

G3

Condesaar

2004

Xaar

Miravalle

G3

Crossyourheart

2004

Show A Heart

Swear

G3

Generous Nature

2003

Carnegie

Addictive Nature

G3

Hissy Miss

2003

Golden Snake

Glass Warrior

G3

Is It A Mosquito

2011

Bel Esprit

Swats That

G3

Love Of Liberty

2009

General Nediym

Ellsberg

G3

M'Lady Hallowell

2011

Wanted

Hoi An

G3

Miss Ethics

2003

Count Dubois

Ethical Solution

G3

Quietzer

2006

More Than Ready

Hear The Chant

G3

Sovereign Charm

2005

Show A Heart

Sovereign Award

G3

Baize

2008

Commands

Corner Pocket

Listed

Carolina Bella

2006

Zabeel

Mickey Blue Eyes

Listed

Cheers Rihanna

2009

General Nediym

Struck By

Listed

It's You

1999

Celtic Swing

Yourein

Listed

Lunar Lights

2005

Bianconi

Honey'S Steel Gold

Listed

Miss Encosta

2006

Encosta De Lago

Captain Duffy

Listed

My Tusker

2001

Volksraad

Game Keeper

Listed

Sophia Babe

2006

Iglesia

Final Salute

Listed

Special Mission

2004

Towkay

Redouble

Listed

Strikeline

2000

Desert Sun

The Barrister

Listed

SIRES OF DAMS COVERED BY SHAMUS AWARD (6 or more mares)

In this table we’ve had a look at the sires of these quality mares that have gone to Shamus Award and looked to see the success rate of the nick in terms of winner to runner and SW to runner.

The overall statistics for Shamus Award are 64.5% winner to runner and 7% SW to runner.

Broodmare Sire

Number of Mares

Winner to runner

SW to runner

Bel Esprit

12

75%

25% 1 SW 4 runners

More Than Ready (USA)

12

100%

40% 2 SW (1 G1) 5 runners

Encosta de Lago

8

60%

10% 1 SW 10 runners

General Nediym

8

75%

20% 2 SW (1 G1) 10 runners

Star Witness

8

20% 5 runners 1 winner

Savabeel

6

No runners

Advertisment
More Reading...
La Dorada Chasing Redemption at Valley
Last season’s champion NZ two-year-old La Dorada will be out to prove her ability against her Australian counterparts on Friday night when she contests the Gr.3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) at The Valley.
Horse Trading Stock Issues to Avoid
One of the key areas in thoroughbred taxation is accounting for trading stock and ensuring the tax closing value is properly ascertained. You’d be quite surprised of the enormous difference to the tax position of any racing player where trading stock problems occur.
Ardrossan Filly Wins First Kiwi Juvenile Race of New Season
Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece.
Golden Rose Colts – Sires of the Future
The $1million Group I ATC Golden Rose (1400m) this Saturday offers the winner far more than prizemoney and assuming it’s a colt he is given a golden ticket to a commercial stud career, so let’s take a look at this year’s contenders, who would you want on your stallion roster in 2026?
Manhattan Rain Gold Rush in WA
Geisel Park won’t be the only WA breeder on board when the first locally-conceived 2yo crop of its Group 1 sire Manhattan Rain get mobile this season.
Invincible Filly Snares $100,000 Inglis Bonus
The least expensive filly by champion sire I Am Invincible sold at Inglis Easter in 2024, Wear the Crown always looked to have been well bought at $260,000 by Seib/Racing / Champion Thoroughbreds and she set about repaying her purchase price at Goulburn on Thursday.
Spring Juvenile Contest at Otaki on Friday
Otaki trainer Andrew Campbell is excited about the prospects of his promising juvenile Singletary, and he is looking forward to kicking off his career in the Vets On Riverbank Two-Year-Old (800m) at his home track on Friday.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday September 24
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Breeding to Win - 2025 Manikato Stakes
Racing at The Valley on Grand Final Eve in Melbourne - the southern capital doing what it does best, bringing people together in celebration of sporting greatness!
Golden Rose Sires Where Are They Now?
Since the $1million Golden Rose was elevated to Group I status in 2009 it has been won in every single year bar one by a colt with the lone gelding to succeed being Manawanui in 2011 and winning this race is a passport to a commercial stud career, so we thought we’d take a look at the fortunes of the past winners who have gone to stud in Australia.