Shalaa


Shalaa is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2015 he was beaten on his debut but won his next five races including the July Stakes, Richmond Stakes, Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes. His second season was badly disrupted by injury, although he did win the Bengough Stakes.

Background

Shalaa is a bay colt with a narrow white blaze bred by the County Cork-based Mogeely Stud.
He was sired by the Haydock Sprint Cup winner Invincible Spirit who has produced many other major winners including Kingman, Charm Spirit, Mayson, Fleeting Spirit, Moonlight Cloud and Lawman. Shalaa's dam Ghurra won once in England and twice in California from twenty starts between 2004 and 2007. Ghurra was a descendant of the broodmare Moonstone, making her a distant relative of Nocturnal Spree, Moonax and the Irish 1000 Guineas winner Even Star.
As a foal in November 2013, the colt was sent to the Tattersalls sales and sold for 100,000 guineas. In the following October he was again put up for auction at Tattersalls and bought for 170,000 guineas by the bloodstock agent Charles Gordon-Watson. Shalaa entered the ownership of Joann Al Thani's Al Shaqab Racing and was sent into training with John Gosden at Newmarket, Suffolk.

Racing career

2015: two-year-old season

Spring

In his first season, Shalaa was ridden in all but one of his races by the Italian veteran Frankie Dettori. The colt made his debut in a six furlong race at Newbury Racecourse on 16 May and started the 7/2 second favourite in a field which included five previous winners. He swerved badly exiting the stalls, and was never in contention, finishing last of the eight runners behind Birchwood. Two weeks later he contested a maiden race over the same distance at Newmarket Racecourse and recorded his first success, taking the lead a furlong out and winning by two lengths from Fang.

Summer

On 9 July, Shalaa was stepped up in class and started a 14/1 outsider for the Group Two July Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket. He was ridden by Robert Havlin as Dettori was partnering the more fancied Eltezam who was made co-favourite alongside Areen and Steady Pace. Shala tracked the leaders before taking the lead approaching the final furlong and prevailed by a length from Steady Pace despite veering sharply to the left in the closing stages. Havlin said "Before he ran this year we thought he could be a Coventry horse. He just needed a couple of days away from the yard to learn how to do everything right. He put it all together today and did it well. He travelled with a lot of ease through the race and it was just a matter of pressing the button. When he stopped quickening he started idling, so there was a bit left in the tank".
Dettori was back in the saddle when the colt started 11/8 favourite for the Group Two Richmond Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse on 30 July. Steady Pace was again in opposition, whilst the other contenders included Log Out Island and Riflescope. Shalaa led from the start, went clear of the field entering the final furlong and won by two and a quarter lengths from Tasleet despite being eased down by Dettori in the final strides. After the race the colt was initially regarded as a 2000 Guineas prospect but Gosden explained that he was more likely to be campaigned over sprint distances. He commented "Thank goodness we resisted going to Royal Ascot for the Coventry Stakes because I don’t think he was ready for that, mentally. He reminds me a lot of Oasis Dream. I don’t see him being a miler, I see him staying at six and that wonderful new race, the Commonwealth Cup, as being a huge target for him next year. He’s so fast and he enjoys sprinting, so let him sprint."

Autumn

On his next appearance, Shalaa was sent to France and moved up to Group One level for the Prix Morny over 1200 metres at Deauville Racecourse on 23 August. He was made the 1/2 favourite ahead of the Richard Hannon, Jr.-trained Gutaifan who had won the Prix Robert Papin four weeks earlier, and the Prix de Cabourg winner Tourny. Shalaa and Gutaifan disputed the lead before the favourite moved away from his rival in the last 200 metres to win by one and three quarter lengths. After the race, Dettori described Shalaa as "the best two-year-old I’ve sat on in my life... I am not exaggerating". Gosden commented "He has done it very well, he is very fast and he’s beat Gutaifan, a good horse, in second. We will look towards the Middle Park. No curveballs, just the Middle Park, that will do us". The runner-up went on to win the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster.
On 26 September, Shalaa started 1/2 favourite in a seven runner field for the Group One Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. The best of his rivals appeared to be the Gimcrack Stakes winner Ajaya and the Coventry Stakes winner Buratino. Dettori sent him into the lead from the start before opening up a clear advantage a furlong out. He held off the late challenge of Buratino to win by half a length, with Steady Pace staying on to take third ahead of Ajaya. Dettori commented, "He's got tremendous speed and he is the fastest two-year-old I've ridden. I haven't met a horse fast enough to lead him" whilst Gosden said "He's very, very fast - the fastest two-year-old I've trained... He's got a good mind on him too, which is very important".

2016: three-year-old season

As a three-year-old, Shalaa was trained to engage in a sprint campaign with the Commonwealth Cup as his major objective. On 15 April however it was announced that the colt had sustained a pelvic injury in a routine training gallop and would miss the first half of the season. Al Shaqab's racing manager Harry Herbert described the development as "immensely disappointing".
More than a year after his last appearance, Shalaa returned with a win in the Listed Bengough Stakes over six furlongs at Ascot on 1 October, leading from the start and winning by a neck from the four-year-old filly Mehronissa. After the race Gosden said "He was just full of himself and I told Frankie he was carrying his stick just for balance - not to use it. He will come back for the Champion Sprint but we know softer ground compromises a horse who is all about pure speed". In the British Champions Sprint Stakes two weeks later he started the 4/1 joint favourite in a thirteen-runner field. Racing on good ground he raced prominently on the stands-side but faded in the last quarter mile and finished tenth behind The Tin Man, beaten seven and a half lengths by the winner.

Assessment and honors

In January Shalaa was officially rated the second-best European two-year-old of 2015 and the best juvenile trained in Britain. His mark of 121 placed him three pounds behind the Irish-trained Air Force Blue and one pound ahead the filly Minding.

Pedigree