In-form galloper Here To Shock provided connections with a lucrative payday after a dogged victory in the A$1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Prepared by Ben, Will and JD Hayes, the seven-year-old son of Shocking was a last-start winner of the Gr.3 Cameron Handicap (1600m).
Ridden by Nash Rawiller, Here To Shock came from midfield to land the spoils under a typically vigorous Rawiller ride, narrowly defeating well-supported favourite Gringotts.
Sporting the Slade Bloodstock colours, Here To Shock will now be aimed at the A$3 million The Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick on November 5.
“It was just incredible. It was a great ride by Nash,” Ben Hayes said.
“Nash has really clicked with him, he’s ridden him great twice. And he really stuck his head out. He’s in career best form. It’s so good for the ownership group. He’s just been an absolute superstar, the horse and we couldn’t be happier.
“He’s qualified for the Big Dance so we may as well try him. The mile is a slight question mark but he’s in good form and if he gets the right run he can be very competitive in a race like that.”
Winning jockey Nash Rawiller was pleased with the tenacity Here To Shock showed when challenged by the runner-up.
“He’s a beauty and it’s a great effort by the team to get him up here at the right time for these races,” Rawiller said.
“I’m sure he would have been competitive down there (in Melbourne) too but I don’t think they would have been going around for $1.5 million with him. Great foresight and congratulations to them.
“He travelled really well. You want to build your momentum knowing you’re probably going to be left in front there a long way from home. And he didn’t really want to go on with it either, he sort of felt his job was done a bit. But what I loved was once Gringotts got to him he was there for the fight.
“Although he was lost in front, when he needed to, he found when the chips were down.”
Here To Shock has now had 33 starts for 11 wins, seven placings and A$1,923,580 in prizemoney.
Rob Slade went to $70,000 to purchase the then colt out of the Lonhro mare Frescoes from the 2019 Cambridge Stud yearling draft at the Book 1 Sale at Karaka. Bred by The Sunlight Trust, Here To Shock is a half-brother to Listed winner Turn The Ace. – NZ Racing Desk
