Stakes Success for Shandream

Pins mare Shandream (NZ) produced a career best performance at Counties on Saturday to claim her first victory at stakes level in the $50,000 Listed BNZ Partners Counties Bowl (1100m).

Shandream is the 47th stakes winner for her sire Pins

In a solid performance from the five-year-old, Shandream (Pins x Pyjamas) hit the front 300 metres from home with jockey Leith Innes in the saddle and managed to hold off the late finishing Antonio Lombardo to win by a classy half-a-length margin.

Coming into the race fresh up, trainer Richard Collett took the mare to the trials at Ellerslie earlier this month where she won her heat by half-a-head.

Shandream has been steadily making her way through the grades with Saturday’s race bringing up her fifth win. The race was also her first attempt at gaining black-type and, given her performance, the daughter of Pins certainly looks a horse to follow over the summer with races like the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile on her agenda.  

Shandream was bred by Waikato Stud and is the 47th stakes winner for their resident sire Pins. The mare is also the 13th stakes winner bred on the successful Pins/Centaine cross. Boasting a winners to runners ratio of 75%, the cross has also produced dual Group 1 winner Legs and Group winners including Econsul and Somepin Anypin.

Raced by Bruce & Gerald Shand, Shandream was purchased by Collett Racing Stables from Waikato Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2009 Karaka Premier Sale for $280,000.