By Tom Frary
Off the mark by a slender margin at the first attempt in a mile maiden at Navan Mar. 30, Shelir proved the drop back to seven to be no problem when taking this Irish 2000 Guineas pointer. Travelling strongly initially towards the rear, the grey moved easily up the ranks before Chris Hayes had to get busy two furlongs from home. Hitting the front 100 yards from the line, the homebred was well on top at the line as outsider Eclipse Storm emerged from the ruck.
Trainer Dermot Weld has Classic ambitions now. “He did it very nicely and is still a horse with plenty to learn about racing,” he said. “I was always confident over the last furlong that he was going to get there. He'll obviously appreciate a mile, which he won over in Navan, and the logical thing is to come back here for the [May 25 G1] Irish 2000 Guineas. It's just his second start and most of the other horses had a lot more experience than he had. He's a work in progress and I think there is a nice bit more to come from this horse.”
Shelir's dam, who also has a 2-year-old colt by Zoffany (Ire) named Shekhem (Ire) and a yearling colt by Golden Horn (GB), is a daughter of the G1 Prix de Diane heroine Shemaka (Ire) (Nishapour {Fr}) which makes her a full-sister to the G3 Prix de Lutece and G3 Prix Allez France scorer Shemima (GB). She is also a half to the listed-winning Shemaya (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), who threw the G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Shamkiyr (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), to the fellow listed scorer Shemala (Ire) (Danehill) who produced another G3 Prix Allez France winner in Shemiyla (Fr) also by Dalakhani and the dam of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere third Shediak (Fr) (Selkirk).
Monday, Curragh, Ireland
COOLMORE CHURCHILL IRISH EBF TETRARCH S.-Listed, €57,500, Curragh, 5-6, 3yo, 7fT, 1:26.84, yl.
1–SHELIR (IRE), 129, c, 3, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Shelina (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire)
2nd Dam: Shemaka (Ire), by Nishapour (Fr)
3rd Dam: Shashna, by Blakeney (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Dermot Weld; J-Chris Hayes. €33,925. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $46,305.
2–Eclipse Storm (GB), 129, g, 3, Dream Ahead–Gentle Breeze (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). O-Iman Hartono. €11,500.
3–Flash Gordon (Ire), 129, c, 3, Kodiac (GB)–Oasis Sunset (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). (220,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Fiona Carmichael. €5,750.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, 3/4. Odds: 8.00, 33.00, 7.50.
Also Ran: Piano Solo (Fr), I Am Superman (Ire), Limit Long (GB), U S S Michigan, Gloves Lynch (GB), Major Reward (Ire), Antilles. Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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