Shalaa Asker sheds maiden tag at Chelmsford
Arrowfield Stud shuttler Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) sired his tenth first-crop winner on Sunday as Shalaa Asker (2 c ex Miracle Seeker by Rainbow Quest) shed his maiden tag at his fourth attempt when he won over five furlongs at Chelmsford.
Sent off the 22/1 outsider of the five runner field, the Adrian Paul Keatley-trained two-year-old colt surged clear in the closing stages to beat Eye Of Heaven (Exceed And Excel) by a length and three-quarters, while Asadjumeirah (Adaay) finished another length further away in third.
Purchased by Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock for €45,000 at the 2019 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, before being snapped up by Ontoawinner for €55,000 Arqana Deauville May 2YO Breeze-Up Sale at Doncaster earlier this year, the colt is the fifth winner out of Lingfield Oaks Trial (Listed, 1m3½f) winner Miracle Seeker (Rainbow Quest), whose progeny is headed by Listed-placed filly Loaves And Fishes (Oasis Dream).
Further back this is the same family Listed-winning duo Burn The Breeze (Beat Hollow) and Lethals Lady (Rudimentary), who was also placed at Grade 1 level.
Shalaa's first European-bred crop also includes the stakes-placed Saeiqa who ran third in the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Royal Ascot. He is standing his fourth season in Australia for an unchanged fee of $33,000 (inc GST) at Arrowfield Stud this spring. Shalaa, who stands at Haras de Bouquetot in the northern hemisphere, is currently sitting in second in the leading first season sires table in France by both earnings and winners.
