HIS name bears close resemblance to the nickname of his trainer – and we’ll
leave the rest to your imagination!
But there was nothing imaginary about Shaggy’s brilliant debut performance at Coffs Harbour today. Starting a red hot $1.14 favorite on the strength of an easy barrier trial victory at Newcastle late last month, the youngster won the 2YO Maiden Plate (800m) by nearly six lengths.
A son of leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup’s maiden stakes winner Sandbar (2018 Lonhro Plate at Warwick Farm), Shaggy (Aaron Bullock) is another member of his dam Moonrush’s family Wyong trainer Allan Kehoe has been associated with.
Kehoe has won a couple of races (including a city Maiden) with five-year-old mare Moonlight Grace (by Scissor Kick), and also prepares three-year-old gelding I Want This (by Prized Icon), who is yet to win from only a handful of starts.
“I paid $50,000 for I Want This at the Magic Millions yearling sale two years ago, and he’ll be okay,” Kehoe said this afternoon. “He needs time.
“When I noticed this bloke (Shaggy) as a yearling, I chased Kooringal Stud to get him.
“He was withdrawn from the Inglis Classic yearling sale last year, and I now race him on lease.
“Shaggy is different altogether to his half-brother. Before he won the 900m trial at Newcastle on December 30, I rode him in a jumpout at Wyong.
“Aaron came to ride a couple of horses for Kristen Buchanan (fellow Wyong trainer), and was in the same jumpout and afterwards said he wanted to ride Shaggy when I took him to the races. He rode Shaggy in the Newcastle 800m trial when he quickly took control and scored easily."
“I told my mate Damien Lane (also training at Wyong) a few months ago that I could win five races with him this season as he is a natural two-year-old.”
As Shaggy, who incidentally is a gelding, was nominated for the Inglis Classic sale, he is eligible to contest the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Royal Randwick on February 8.
“We’ll let the dust settle and see how he pulls up, but obviously that is a race to seriously consider considering the big prizemoney,” Kehoe said.
“And there’s the Wellington Boot (1100m) and Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra a bit further down the track.
“The best part about Shaggy’s win was how he put a gap in them over the last 200m after the runner-up What A Rush ($18) challenged him on straightening.
“And Aaron said he still had a few lengths up his sleeve at the end.”
Shaggy was Kehoe’s 187 th career winner and his eighth this season – and he was denied a Coffs Harbour double in the absolute last bound.
Lease ($3.30), also ridden by Bullock, went under to $3.10 favorite Raised By Wolves in a deceptive finish to the CG&E Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m).
Kehoe has just brought his war horse Dark Dream back into the stable for another preparation.
The now 10-year-old, who won the 2400m Benchmark 64 Handicap, which was to have been run at Kembla Grange’s washed out meeting yesterday, has been added to Thursday’s program at that track.
Nominations close at 11am on Monday, and preference will be given to horses who were going to run yesterday when acceptances are taken on Tuesday morning. Story by John Curtis, 12 January, 2025.
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