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Waratah Thoroughbred's Handsome Thief Captures Wangoom

Mark Smith - Wednesday May 2

From Sha Tin to Warrnambool, it's been a big week for the former shuttler Shamardal (USA).

Three days after cult hero Pakistan Star (GER) scored a barnstorming victory in the Group 1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup at Sha Tin, Shamardal's imported son Handsome Thief (IRE) led a home a 1-2 for Darren Weir in the $150,000 Listed Midfield Group Wangoom Handicap (1200m) at Warrnambool.

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Sent off a short-priced favourite under Dean Yendall, Handsome Thief  (IRE) defeated Stellar Collision (Star Witness) by a half-length with Bassett (Savabeel) a long neck away third.


"Darren said that if I just left him alone early, he'd finish off strongly," Yendall said.

"I got to the 500(m) and I thought, 'I don't think I'm travelling as well as I'd like to be because he was off the bridle a bit.

"When I got stuck into him and asked for a nice, strong effort, Stellar Collision came with me but he was really good on the line."

The winner of three of his first four starts, Handsome Thief (IRE) advances his record to 6 wins, 3 seconds and 2 thirds from 14 starts with earnings of $297,400.

A homebred for Paul Fudge's Waratah Thoroughbreds, Handsome Thief is out of the Galileo mare Insoumise who Fudge purchased for €350,000 (A$473,000) as a 3yo at the 2011 Arqana Breeding Stock Sale.

Finishing among the tailenders at her two starts, the blue-blooded Insoumise is a half-sister to Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Plumania (Anabaa) and Group II Prix de Royallieu winner Balladeuse (Singspiel).

Her dam Featherquest (Rainbow Quest) is a three-sister to Group 1 winner Groom Dancer a short-term shuttler who sired the Group I Turnbull Stakes winner Sphenophyta.

Featherquest is also the dam of Arrowfield Stud's imported mare Keltshaan the dam of star Japanese sprinter Kinshasa No Kiseki (Fuji Kiseki) and the granddam of the 2011 Group 1 AJC Australian Oaks heroine Absolutely (Redoute's Choice).

This is the family of Legerete, Falco, Vert Amande, Le Nain Jaune and the2011 Group 1 Arc De Triomphe winner Danedream.

Handsome Prince becomes the 116th stakes-winner for Shamardal (USA) whose own sire Giant's Causeway recently passed away at Ashford Stud, Kentucky.

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