Shamalia leads home a Darley-sired one-two-three

Lightly raced three-year-old Shamardal filly Shamalia, a winner of two of her three career starts to date, contested the final race of the day, the Listed Fireball Stakes at Royal Randwick on March 3.

Trained by Bart and James Cummings, the filly settled in the middle of the pack throughout and as the large field charged around the final bend, jokey Glyn Schofield was searching for gap.

Just as it appeared that Dubawi filly Boss Lane may achieve her first Stakes success as she kicked clear, Shamalia got up along the inside, while Exceed And Excel’s G1 Golden Slipper runner-up Sidestep was coming down the outside of the field. As the line was reached, Shamalia prevailed by a half-head over Sidestep, with Boss Lane back in third.

Bred and raced by Think Big Stud and Mr R Skerl, Shamalia is out of the winning Redoute’s Choice mare Laylia and comes from the family of G1 winner Super Quercus, Hearts Cry, Lilacs And Lace, Stella Madrid, Tis Juliet and Kimberley Mine.

As the sire of 59 Stakes winners highlighted by ten G1 winners including Lope De Vega, Zazou and Darley stallion Casamento, Shamardal stands at Kildangan Stud at a fee of €50,000.