Shinzo set for Coolmore Stud Stakes payday

Shinzo does not need to win Saturday’s $2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes to be assured of plenty of fanfare when he is retired to stud.

But victory in the 1200-metre Group 1 at Flemington certainly won’t hurt his profile.

The Chris Waller-trained colt is a son of four-time Australian champion sire Snitzel out of multiple Group 1 winner Samaready and has already won Australia’s most significant race from a bloodstock perspective, the Golden Slipper.

Adding the Coolmore to that could make him the highest-profile first-season sire in Australian history, something not lost on Waller.

“It would tick the final box really,” Waller, who part-owns Shinzo, said.

“Obviously he’s a very well-bred colt, he’s been an amazing two-year-old and if he could win Saturday it would be icing on the cake for a very valuable horse.”

Shinzo is owned in similar interests as Home Affairs, who carried the Coolmore colours to victory in the 2021 Coolmore Stud Stakes.

That son of I Am Invincible stood his first season at stud for $110,000, albeit after a win over Nature Strip in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m), and was one of the most in-demand stallions in Australia in 2022, covering 203 mares.

Sepoy is the only colt to win the Golden Slipper/Coolmore Stud Stakes double since the Coolmore attained Group 1 status in 2006 and he stood his first season for $66,000 more than a decade ago.

Merchant Navy commanded $55,000, Brazen Beau and Zoustar were both $44,000, Flying Artie and Exceedance $38,500 with Star Witness and Northern Meteor $33,000.

The Coolmore Stud Stakes will be the third run of the preparation for Shinzo, who was found to be lame after his first-up ninth in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) and was again ninth in $20 million The Everest (1200m).

He rounded out his Coolmore preparations with a low-key Flemington jumpout against some of Saturday’s key rivals last Friday morning and Waller said he had been well-prepared for his straight-track debut.

“Right from the start of this preparation, which was back in June, he was working up a straight track a gradual incline all for this Saturday in mind,” Waller said.

“We’ve done that with previous Coolmore winners and it just gets them concentrating on running in that straight line and changing legs when they need to and making sure they can sustain a strong 1200-metre gallop.

“Shinzo didn’t have a lot of luck in the Everest unfortunately, nor did he first-up either, so we’re hoping up the straight he gets clear galloping and a chance to show how really good he is.”

Waller is shooting for a sixth win in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, having won with Zoustar (2013), Brazen Beau (2014), Japonisme (2015) and September Run (2020) prior to Home Affairs.