New Group winner for Shalaa

Shalaa recorded a new Group winner in Europe on Monday when his 3YO daughter No Speak Alexander won the 7-furlong Athasi Stakes G3 at The Curragh, her first start this year.

No Speak Alexander provides @Jessica_Racing with a 1-2 in the @coolmorestud Circus Maximus EBF Athasi Stakes (Group 3). pic.twitter.com/b5vmuOHu3b

— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) May 3, 2021

The filly’s rider Shane Foley told the Racing Post that, “I thought she might have run well in the French Guineas, but we didn’t have her in it. She’s probably entitled to come back for the Irish Guineas now after that.”

Indeed, the Irish One Thousand Guineas G1 on 23 May is likely to be her next start. 

A home-bred for the O’Callaghan family’s Mountarmstrong Stud, and trained by Jessica Harrington, No Speak Alexander had five starts at two, for a win, a Listed placing and two Group race fourths in France & Ireland. She is the first foal of juvenile stakeswinner Rapacity Alexander (by the Danehill-line sire Dandy Man), a full sister to Hong Kong’s Champion Sprinter Peniaphobia.

Shalaa also added a new winner, Magic Sound (ex Hadeel by Siyouni) at Longchamp on Thursday. That takes his tally of European 3YO winners this year to 19, a figure that includes the Listed winner King Shalaa and a total of 11 horses with Classic engagements. 

In Australia, Shalaa’s first-crop 2YOs, headed by Group 3 and Magic Millions winner Shaquero and three other stakes performers, have propelled him into third spot on the First Season Sires’ premiership, and 5th position on the 2YO Sires’ list.

Bidding for Shalaa’s second-crop Australian yearlings has been enthusiastic, with 69 of 70 lots sold for 6 times his 2018 fee. He has already posted his first seven-figure sale, the $1.15 million colt out of Honesty Prevails purchased by James Harron from Arrowfield’s Magic Millions draft.