Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Bonny mare Simply Shaz is thriving on a diet of non-stop racing. At Gloucester Park on Friday night she lined up for her 42ND start in the past 13 months when she began from the outside of the back line in the 2130m Aaron Bain Racing Thank You To Our Owners Pace.
She was a $10.70 chance from her awkward draw, with noted frontrunner Miss Boudica the $1.95 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier.
And then talented Collie reinsman Trent Wheeler produced a superb performance in the sulky to land Simply Shaz a decisive winner, bringing the New Zealand-bred five-year-old home with a spirited three-wide burst from sixth position with 400m to travel to win by just under a length from the $4.20 second fancy Nullarbor Navajo, with Miss Boudica a half-length away in third place.
Wheeler had many options from the outside of the back line, and he opted to angle Simply Shaz across to move to the inside and settle down four back on the pegs. Wheeler then cleverly eased Simply Shaz off the inside and forced Fleur Du Marquis three wide at the bell.
Wheeler then waited until passing the 400m mark to take Simply Shaz three wide, and the mare, after a 28.5sec third quarter, finished powerfully with a final 400m of 28.9sec.
Byford trainer Peter Anderson said that Simply Shaz was getting better and better with every start and that he was looking forward to her contesting the $75,000 Empress Stakes over 2536m next Friday week. “She is at her best over the longer distances,” he said.
Simply Shaz is by top sire American Ideal and is the first foal out of the Art Major mare Simply Stunning, who raced 54 times in New Zealand for six wins, 13 placings and $44,885 in prizemoney. Simply Stunning is a half-sister to Total Defiance, who earned $550,295 from 41 wins and 38 placings from 180 starts.
Total Defiance won once from nine New Zealand starts and had 43 starts in WA for trainer-reinsman Aldo Cortopassi for 22 wins and seven placings before travelling to America in 2010 where he won another 18 times. Total Defiance’s WA wins included the 2008 Battle Of Bunbury, the 2008 Kalgoorlie Cup and the 2009 Easter Cup.
Simply Shaz was purchased for $50,000 in New Zealand in December 2020, and her 51 WA starts have produced 13 wins, 12 placings and stakes of $88,154.