Following the win of Eagle Nest in the Listed Starlight Stakes at Rosehill, Welwal (GB) brought up an interstate stakes double for Woodside Park Stud’s Shalaa (FR) in the Group III Manhari Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Ridden by Luke Currie, Welwal (GB) was making his first start for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr. The 5-year-old gelding got a late split to overpower Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel) by a short-head, with Warnie (Highland Reel) three-quarters of a length back in third.
The Group III Prix de Fontainebleau winner at Longchamp, when trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, Welwal (GB), was purchased by AG Bloodstock for $330,000 on Inglis Digital in May.
“We do have very good form analysts, Hayden and ‘Junior’ who get their heads down and they’re all over lots of horses and the data this and the data that, but I leave them to it and they run their own race a little bit,” Mick Price said of the purchase.
“A very, very good old-time stable client Alf Gauci is in it. Tuesday morning, Currie and I stood there and he had a big blow, so we thought it would need the run.
“So, I’m sort of in trouble but, Alf, when you win the big one (The Supernova), you’ll thank me.
“We’ve had to reshape him a bit, feet and just, in general, kilometres done on a horse of his age and stage.
“He’s obviously got the ability, but we’ll just need to keep him young and fresh and that’s probably what he was. He probably needs to be a little underdone, a typical Shalaa.”
Luke Currie said he was presently surprised the Shalaa gelding finished so strongly.
“I jumped him out and worked him through the week and I thought he was probably coming in a little bit underdone, so it goes to show what a good judge I am,” Currie said.
“I thought when we were making our run through and then Arkansaw Kid gave a bit of a kick when he felt us there.
“It was a good effort to still be strong through the line when I still think he’s got a bit of improvement.
“He had a lovely run, he travelled great but I was aware that horse was going to be hard to run down.”
A half-brother to stakes-placed winners Epistrophy (Charm Spirit) and Chic Cherie (Muhaarar), Welwal (GB) is the best of seven winners from as many to race out of the Listed stakes-winner Cheriearch (Arch).
