Shuka Shines in Select Sale Group 1 Trifecta

The ever-consistent Shuka (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) became his sire’s first Group 1 winner on the weekend with a narrow victory in the Group 1 $200,000 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.

Shuka (NZ) winning the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham on Saturday.

The bargain $20,000 yearling purchase from the Karaka Select Sale continues the great run of success for the Sale that enjoyed eight individual Group 1 winners last season. This season has continued in the same winning vein with Shuka becoming the second Group 1 winner so far for the Sale following Kirramosa’s (NZ) (Alamosa) Group 1 VRC Oaks victory last month.

The Karaka Select Sale filled both the minor placings as well to land the Group 1 trifecta, with the Lance Noble trained pair of Viadana (NZ) (Tokway) and Brave Centaur (NZ) (O’Reilly) finishing second and third respectively.

Five-year-old Shuka has been competitive against the best horses throughout his career, winning stakes races at two, three, four and now as a five-year-old.

The Peter and Dawn Williams trained galloper resumed this campaign with a comprehensive victory fresh-up before finishing fourth in the Group 3 Tauranga Stakes behind race rival Survived (NZ) (Zed).

Jumping from barrier three, rider Danielle Johnson was able to position Shuka mid-field in the 10-horse field that carried an abundance of form. Entering the straight Johnson pulled Shuka to the outside of the track to lay his challenge.

At the 200m mark the race was there to be won by anybody with a number of horses looking likely but over the concluding stages Shuka asserted himself as the superior horse on the day to triumph in his first Group 1 success.

It was the first Group 1 win for not only Shuka but also for jockey Danielle Johnson.

 “He has done a good job,” commented Peter Williams. “He has turned himself into a race horse now. Last season he was doing a lot of things wrong but he always needed time to mature into his frame.

“You can never be confident heading into a Group 1 but we were really happy with the way he went into the race. He put in a determined finish and stuck his head like he wanted to win the race.

“I purchased two horses from Karaka in 2010 and they were Planet Rock, a Group 1 winner, and Shuka. To be able to buy two horses at a Sale and they both turn out to be Group 1 winners is quite an achievement.

“He will follow the Group 1 races in New Zealand with the Group 1 Zabeel Classic his next race. We planned to run him in the Group 1 races this year at the start of the season and what he has done so far this season has justified that so if he is racing good we will run him in the Group 1 races.”

Saturday’s feature race win was the seventh victory in Shuka’s 28-start career and was the fourth black-type success by the gelding who has earned his owner, Parr Bloodstock Ltd, $462,200 in prizemoney.

Bred by Karreman Bloodstock Ltd, Shuka is one of three winners from as many to race for his dam Alabama Rose (Cape Cross), a daughter of Group 1 winner Alabama Whirly (Bold Rancher). Shuka was purchased at the 2010 Karaka Select Sale for $20,000 from The Oaks Stud.