Third Group III on the Bounce for Recommendation

Mark Smith - Saturday August 31

Recommendation is in the best form of his life, adding Saturday's Group III Vale Black Caviar Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield to recent wins in the Group III Sir John Monash Stakes and Group III Bletchingly Stakes.

Three Group IIIs on the bounce (image Grant Courtney)

Ridden by Blake Shinn for Ciaron Maher, the 5-year-old son of Shalaa (FR) settled on the outside of the pacesetting Acromantula. Jamie Kah tracked Recommendation on Godolphin's 5-time stakes-winner Kallos but made minimal ground on the winner down the straight.

Advertisement

Recommendation defeated Kallos (Medaglia d'Oro) by three-quarters of a length, with Nettuno (I Am Invincible) two and three-quarter lengths back in third.

With his fifth stakes success, Recommendation advances his record to nine wins, three seconds, and three thirds with earnings of $964,085.

Blake rode the horse very confidently. He's just found his sweet spot here, Caulfield 1100m, Maher said.

"We knew Kallos would be very hard to beat as he has a great fresh record.

"They've got a great affiliation and gave him a perfect run. He controlled the race; great effort by him and the team.

"He was narrowly beaten, 1.7 lengths in the Oakleigh Plate last year, so something like that might be in his reach. For the immediate future, we'll keep ticking over. The fields have been small, and he's been able to do what he wants, but he's certainly gone to another level this prep.

"We'll have a look at Flemington and see how he goes. He certainly seems to have gone to another level, we'll pick our way through."

Another photo for the wall (image Grant Courtney)

Bred by Pacific King Pty Ltd, Recommendation is the best of three winners from as many to race out of the unraced Street Cry (IRE) mare Adviso (USA), a daughter of the 4-time Grade 1 winner Proviso (Dansili), a half-sister to Group 1 Royal Ascot Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Byword (Peintre Celebre) and Chris Waller's top-class import Finche (Frankel).

Adviso has a yearling sister to Recommendation, who was a $150,000 purchase for Satomi Oka Bloodstock (FBAA)/Omen Bloodstock from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Adviso has a yearling filly by The Autumn Sun and was covered by Snitzel last spring.

Invincible Spirit's Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and Prix Morny winner Shalaa (IRE) stands at Woodside Park Stud for $19,800 in 2024.

Advertisment

Race Result - Vale Black Caviar Gr3 1100m

Caulfield Track: Good(4) Time: 1:03.72
1
Recommendation
- 5g Shalaa (IRE) x Adviso (USA) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: B Shinn 58.5
Shalaa
2
0.8
Kallos
- 6g Medaglia D'oro (USA) x Calliope (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Jamie Kah 59
3
3.5
Nettuno
- 5g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Saint Minerva (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: M Zahra 58
I Am Invincible
4
3.8
Marble Nine
- 4g Kobayashi (AUS) x Aura Lee (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: L & T Corstens Rdr: Ben Allen 57
5
8.6
Acromantula
- 7g Written Tycoon (AUS) x For Your Eyes Only (AUS) (Bletchley Park (IRE))
Tnr: D & B Pearce Rdr: D W Stackhouse 58
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 26
Here is the full list of 74 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Shalaa's Recommendation Claims Zeditave Stakes
A wide-open Group III Ladbrokes Zeditave Stakes (1200m) at Sandown-Lakeside encouraged connection of the Shalaa gelding Recommendation to make the trip south after winning a benchmark 64 at Canterbury.
Doubtland 2YO All On Red Smashes Them Again at Ascot
Widden Stud's Doubtland has a potential 2YO topliner in Perth in the shape of exciting WA colt All On Red, who remains undefeated from two starts after another comprehensive Ascot Saturday win.
Shalaa's Recommendation All Courage in Razor Sharp
The likeable Shalaa (IRE) gelding Recommendation was rewarded for his consistency with a fighting win in Saturday’s Listed Racing And Sports Razor Sharp Hcp (1200m) at Randwick.
Wootton Bassett and Camelot 2YO Colts Win Final French Group Ones
The last French Group I races of their flat season were run on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien produced the winners of both the Group I Criterium International (1600m) and Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (1800m).
Recommendation Claims the Monash - Bletchingly Double
The favourite Recommendation led home a 1-2 for Shalaa (IRE) in Saturday’s $200,000 Group III Race-tech Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield to become the third horse to capture the Monash – Bletchingly double.  
From FNQ To Sha Tin - Aussie Bred Sprinter Wins G2 Premier Bowl
Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.