Kitchwin Hills trumpets Dane Shadow’s 2YOs

Kitchwin Hills media release:

Exciting 2YO Five O’Clock, in winning at Doomben on Saturday, has given us a timely reminder that Dane Shadow’s youngsters are on the march.

Five O’Clock not only put his hand up as Magic Millions bound, but he also further highlighted the emergence of Dane Shadow as a producer of precocious and speedy young horses.

The colt, described by his trainer Allan Bailey as a “tough bugger”, hadn’t trialled leading into his first start, so it is likely he will take significant benefit from the run. Five O’Clock, after circling the field, loomed quickly and looked set for a comfortable victory only to have his clear running upset in the final few strides. The way he lengthened stride and quickened in the straight suggests this is a youngster of considerable promise.

But the exciting two-year-olds for Dane Shadow don’t stop at Five O’Clock.

The previous weekend another promising son of Dane Shadow emerged from the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Sandown. The Peter Morgan-trained Danish Shadow, at his first start, produced one of the best runs by a 2YO this season in finishing a tremendous third after being posted six wide on the home turn. The colt would have been excused for trailing off after such a torrid run, but no horse hit the line with more vengeance than Danish Shadow to be beaten less than a length. Danish Shadow, bred by Segenhoe Stud, was a $110,000 purchase at the 2010 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. The colt looks set for an exciting autumn campaign when he tackles the major Group races for 2YOs.

It appears that trainer Gary Portelli is again Inglis Classic bound after his first starter Shady Favour, a filly by Dane Shadow, ran second at Kembla Grange on Saturday. After leaving the field behind early in the straight, Shady Favour’s fitness gave out late and she was collared by the Testa Rossa gelding Cocky Raider – it was another six lengths to third

The expectation is growing about a number of unraced 2YOs, but none more so than the Clarry Conners-trained Bright Heart. The Dane Shadow-Layette filly, a $200,000 Magic Millions purchase by deBurgh Equine, was most impressive winning her trial at Warwick Farm last Friday in the fastest time of the morning. This filly looks to have gears up her sleeves and Clarry has her bound for the Magic Millions.

This current crop of exciting 2YOs is emerging from only 87 live foals sired by Dane Shadow from his third crop. Already from his first two crops – that averaged only 58 foals each year – Dane Shadow has showed he is a stallion of the highest quality with such stars as the Group 1 winner Shellscape, Group 1 placegetter Hurtle Myrtle and the Group 1 contender Shadows In The Sun.

Already we are seeing an impact from this “relatively” large increase in runners for Dane Shadow, and importantly, some of his youngsters are finding there way into the stables of Australia’s finest trainers of juveniles. The combination of these factors has those buyers and breeders who have backed Dane Shadow optimistic about what the current 2YO season is set to deliver – it appears that Dane Shadow MkII has arrived.