From the last crop of foals sired by Widden Stud’s much missed Golden Slipper winning sire Sebring, five year-old mare Tashi may also be his final Group I winner as she produced a career best performance at Eagle Farm on Saturday to win the $700,000 Group I Tatts Tiara (1400m).
A homebred for Corumbene Stud, who also bred and sold her sire Sebring, Tashi has been trained throughout her career by Peter Snowden.
She won on debut at Randwick on June 15 three years ago and is one of those mares that has made steady, but not spectacular progress ever since.
Tashi worked her way through the benchmark racing before moving up to stakes company last year and so begun an incredibly frustrating run of seven stakes-placings until she arrived in the promised land at last on Saturday.
Given a great ride by Tom Sherry, the stars aligned for Tashi as she surged clear to win her first ever stakes race in the G1 Tatts Tiara by nearly two lengths over local rival Abounding with long shot Zoustar mare Olentia filling out the trifecta.
Tashi now has the overall record of five wins and 14 placings from 26 starts with earnings topping $1million and Peter Snowden was ecstatic.
"She's been tremendous all prep, so nobody could begrudge her the win," Snowden said.
"She kept putting her hand up every start, so I'm really proud of her.
"There were no half measures today, she won dominantly. She kept getting beaten short half heads, it was a tremendous run last week in the Dane Ripper, I think this is her 11th run this campaign so huge credit to her."
"Tom (Sherry) rode her an absolute peach today, I think it's his first Group 1 so I'm so pleased for him and the mare.”
Sherry was on Tashi last start when she finished second in the Group II BRC Dane Ripper, so was delighted to get the win, his first in a G1 race.
"It's been a long time coming for me," Sherry said.
"The stars aligned today, and I can't thank Peter and his team enough. It's been a long road and it's been a tough year, but moments like this make it all worthwhile.
"When I came up outside Abounding, I got the jitters and went full bore.
"I've worked really hard to get here. Winning a Group One for a lad from Ireland is a very big deal for me.
"I'm so proud of this mare and it feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Things like this don't happen to people like me, so I'm delighted."
Bred and retained to race by the Altomonte family owned Corumbene Stud, Tashi is the bets of two winner from three foals to race from the Shadwell bred Street Cry (IRE) mare Ghenwaa that was bought by Corumbene Stud for $300,000 from the 2018 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
Ghenwaa is a winning half-sister to stakes-winners Taraayef and Haybah from the family of dual Derby winner and sire Rebel Raider.
Corumbene Stud sold a yearling colt by Capitalist from Ghenwaa at the Magic Millions this year for $80,000 to Ricky Yiu and she produced a colt last year by Russian Revolution before going to Toronado (IRE).
Tashi is the 83rd stakes-winner for Sebring and is his ninth Group I winner.
