While he may forever race in the shadow of his half-brother and $12.8m earner Private Eye, the Joe Pride trained Shalaa gelding King’s Secret stepped up to black type racing for the first time in his career, winning the Listed Canterbury Sprint (1200m) on New Year’s day.
With the pull in weights clearly to his advantage, jockey Andrew Adkins jumped the 4yo away well from the barriers and while he was wide during the early stages, he sat in second on the outside of the race favourite The Instructor who was asked to carry 60kgs.
Urged along a little to stay with the leader and pull away from Spywire who was racing slightly erratically behind him, the pace was solid from the start.
As Adam Hyeronimus aboard The Instructor up the ante leading into the home straight, where it looked as if King’s Secret was under pressure, the pair raced away to fight it out.
Taking the lead with 200m to run, King’s Secret’s seven kilo weight pull showed as the Proven Thoroughbreds raced gelding was just too good, pulling away to win by the best part of a quarter of a length, recording his first black type victory, and just his first attempt.
Consistent as always, the Richard Litt trained Barber finished third, some two lengths off the winner.
“He's tenacious, and when The Instructor ramped it up, and he's a good horse The Instructor, I got a little bit worried, but I was encouraged just before the corner when you saw this horse chase. And that's what he is, you know,” enthused Pride post-race.
“He's a line chaser. He's a winner. And he's a very smart horse.
“He's got a really good future ahead of him. He's won a lot in these early stages of his career, but there's a lot more to come.
When questioned as to where he will head next, Pride indicated he will now have a little break.
“I'll give him probably about three weeks off and come back running the Maurice McCarten, probably the Star Kingdom, maybe a Hall Mark. There's a few little... sort of second-tier goals for him.
“But in 12 months' time, who knows? He might go to the same level that his brother has reached. I'm not saying he's going to be as good as him because Private Eye…”
"But he's a really good little horse, this horse, and anyone who's been backing him, I'm sure they wouldn't have jumped off today. He's tenacious.
“Good to see Andrew getting the opportunity on this. There's a lot said about good jockeys when they get a lot of opportunities. Blokes like Andrew don't get a lot, but I tell you what, he doesn't let me down very often. Andrew's a very good rider.”
With Jockey Andrew Adkins winning five of the seven times they have teamed up, clearly the gelding is one of his favourite horses.
“He's just a dead set winner,” said Adkins post-race. “He tries so hard. He puts all his efforts in. He executes really well. He puts himself there.
“He can ride in with a bit of cover. I would have liked to, it's not really how I wanted to ride him today, up that close, but with the lightweight, and this is the favourite going to be right there.
“I didn't want to give it too much start around here, and I knew he'd be tough, and that he was.
“I always have full confidence in this horse, but he did drop me. He got me chasing, but... If anything, that was actually going to help my fellow. He takes a little bit to wind up, so he goes through his gears quite nicely, but he usually comes off the bridle and chases for a while, and then he sprints off the back of that, so I knew he was always going to be strong there late.”
Taking his record to six wins and four placed efforts from just 11 starts with earnings of $573,575, King's Secret was a $100,000 purchase for Proven Thoroughbreds and Pride Racing from the Goodwood Farm draft at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
King’s Secret is the fifth winner from five to the races out of Kerry Tibbey’s $13,000 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale purchase Confidential Queen (Shamardal).
The current yearling from Confidential Queen, a filly from the first crop of Darley’s Champion Anamoe (Street Boss) will be offered at this year's Inglis Easter yearling sale as part of an exciting draft from Goodwood Farm which will also include the full sister to G1 Golden Slipper winner Fireburn.
Tibby describes the Easter bound filly as being "very typical of the types Confidential Queen produces."
"She is light on her feet with a great hind quarters, and like her half relations she is unlikely to be a 2yo type."
Confidential Queen went back to Anaome on the strength of the filly produced, and this season she foaled another filly by the nine-time Group 1 winner.
King's Secret became the 22nd stakes winners for Woodside Park Stud’s Shalaa, with the son of Invincible Spirit having stood this season at a fee of $19,800 (inc. GST).
