Even in the turbulent realm of ante-post betting, few reigns as the market leader for a Classic have been as brief as that of Shalaa after the Richmond Stakes here on Thursday. As John Gosden’s colt was led into the winner’s enclosure, he was the 14-1 favourite for next year’s 2,000 Guineas but, by the time Shalaa walked out, the bookmakers’ reps were already putting a line through his name.
The five minutes in between were all it took for Gosden to make it clear he sees Shalaa as a sprinter rather than a miler next season. Only six weeks have passed since the first running of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot but the second, on 17 June 2016, is already the primary long-term target for Shalaa.
It might seem hasty to make the Royal meeting the priority ahead of a Classic but Shalaa showed so much speed on the way to a two and three-quarter length defeat of Tasleet that Gosden’s logic was difficult to fault.
Frankie Dettori’s mount was clearly travelling much more easily than his opponents from an early stage and moved into contention with impressive ease for a juvenile making only his fourth trip to the track.
Steady Pace, who was a length behind Shalaa when they finished first and second in the July Stakes at Newmarket, was 3lb better off yet finished four lengths adrift in third. Shalaa is not simply very fast but improving too.
“To be cruising for that long, it’s a great sight when a horse is that quick,” Gosden said. “There were some nice two-year-olds in behind him and you could see the jockeys’ elbows working away.
“He’s learned to relax now. Thank goodness we resisted going to Royal Ascot for the Coventry because I don’t think he was ready for that, mentally, but he is ready for it now. He reminds me a lot of Oasis Dream,” said the trainer in reference to his top-class sprinter of 2003, a winner of both the July Cup and the Nunthorpe.
“Hopefully we would look at a race like the Prix Morny [at Deauville in August]. He’s fast and he wouldn’t want the ground we had at Deauville last year, but that and the Middle Park would be obvious targets.
“I don’t see him being a miler, I see him staying at six and that wonderful new race, the Commonwealth, as being a huge target for him next year. He’s so fast and he enjoys sprinting, so let him sprint.”
