A line-up of potential Epsom Handicap hopefuls feature in the Shannon Stakes 2017 nominations for this Saturday, the Golden Rose Stakes Day race offering a ballot and penalty exemption to the winner for the upcoming Group 1.
Dawn Wall (outside) and Washington Heights (inside) both feature in the 2017 Shannon Stakes nominations for Rosehill this Saturday in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
On Monday Racing NSW took early entries for this year’s Group 2 $200,000 Shannon Stakes (1500m) along with those for all eight other Golden Rose Stakes Day races at Rosehill Gardens.
The Shannon Stakes drew just nine entries and nominations have been extended until 11am on Tuesday morning.
Of the current nominees the majority hold an entry for the Group 1 $1 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) held at Royal Randwick on September 30.
Fat Al (3rd in 2012) was the last horse to back directly up from a Shannon Stakes run and win the Epsom Handicap.
Shortest priced of the Shannon Stakes entries in futures Epsom Handicap betting at $21 is the Chris Waller-trained Dawn Wall.
The four-year-old Fastnet Rock mare is nominated for three Rosehill races on Saturday including also the Group 2 $400,000 Golden Pendant (1400m).
She caught the eye first-up on September 2 at Randwick when narrow runner-up to Washington Heights in a Benchmark 95 over 1400m.
Winner of that race, the Gerald Ryan-trained Commands six-year-old kicked off racing in Australia during 2014 before a sting overseas in Hong Kong.
He has been back racing down under since the winter and has excellent form at Rosehill (5-1-1-1).
Washington Heights is a $26 chance for the Epsom Handicap 2017, but leads all-in Shannon Stakes betting for the weekend.
After him and Dawn Wall, the other key early Shannon Stakes entry is the also Waller-trained Omei Sword.
Like her stablemate, the four-year-old High Chaparral mare also holds a 2017 Golden Pendant nomination with a decision on which race she runs in on Saturday to be made after acceptances on Wednesday.
Omei Sword ran at the same meeting 12 months ago when runner-up to Astern in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m), but hasn’t won a race since that August.
She has run fifth and sixth respectively in her two runs this time in behind Deploy in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) at Randwick and then Ravi when only three lengths beaten a fortnight ago in the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes (1200m).
Along with the two mares in the Shannon Stakes nominations, Waller has also entered his six-year-old Not A Single Doubt stallion Good Project who comes off a sixth in the Theo Marks Stakes from September 9.
Other standout Shannon Stakes hopefuls this Sydney Spring Racing Carnival include the Bjorn Baker-trained Snitzel mare Lubiton and last start Warwick Farm winner Screamaar.
Stay tuned to Races.com.au for the official Shannon Stakes 2017 field and barriers on Wednesday, checking out all the weekend’s early racing odds in the meantime online through Ladbrokes.com.au.
2017 Shannon Stakes Nominations
Rosehill Gardens – 23/09/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5111619×2 | DAWN WALL | M | 4 | Chris Waller | 90 |
| 2 | 7x0472x5x6 | GOOD PROJECT | H | 6 | Chris Waller | 104 |
| 3 | x4285x0x15 | HEARTLINGS | M | 5 | Kerry Parker | 76 |
| 4 | x55250x118 | LUBITON | M | 4 | Bjorn Baker | 91 |
| 5 | 346×643412 | MARIQUITA | M | 5 | Gerald Ryan | 72 |
| 6 | 60x57864x7 | MIGHTY LUCKY | G | 8 | Fred Cowell | 101 |
| 7 | 9x12x27x56 | OMEI SWORD | M | 4 | Chris Waller | 99 |
| 8 | 5x714538x1 | SCREAMARR | G | 4 | Anthony & Edward Cummings | 75 |
| 9 | 7x1215x141 | WASHINGTON HEIGHTS | G | 6 | Gerald Ryan | 96 |
