Valuable Black-Type Win for Our Hail Mary (NZ)

Taranaki mare Our Hail Mary (NZ) (Ocean Park) pushed her value well beyond her $35,000 purchase price at Karaka 2017 with a coveted black-type victory in Saturday’s $70,000 Group Three Dixon & Dunlop Trentham Stakes (2100m). 

It was the sixth win of Our Hail Mary’s 13-start career, her first at stakes level, and lifted her to $112,940 in stakes. She was bought from Cambridge Stud’s draft at the 2017 Premier Sale by Allan Sharrock, who trains the mare and also shares ownership with four others.

“I think she’s cemented herself as a future broodmare now,” Sharrock said. “She’s by Ocean Park out of a sister to Shez Sinsational (NZ) (Ekraar), so she’s got the pedigree behind her and the family is really firing at the moment.”

Shez Sinsational was also trained by Sharrock and won 12 races, four of them at Group One level, and earned more than $1 million in stakes.

Our Hail Mary has a long way to go to match those achievements, but Saturday’s victory was an exceptional performance in its own right.

The five-year-old never had a moment’s rest in a hard-run race, courtesy of Camino Rocoso (NZ) (Shocking) charging out to a colossal lead down the back straight.

The rest of the field clawed their way up alongside that runner early in the home straight, and Our Hail Mary quickened best of all to take the lead with 150 metres to run.

She faced a big late challenge from Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled), but fought her off bravely to win by a long neck.

“There was never really any let-up in the run, so she was never able to get on the bit and start travelling,” jockey Danielle Johnson said.

“She had to work all the way, so it was a very good win. She’s got a nice future as a stayer, especially in some of those Cup races next season where she’ll be a lot better off at the weights than she was today.”

Sharrock believes the best could still be yet to come.

“I’m proud of the mare, it wasn’t easy for her today,” he said. “There was a lot of pressure on all the way and she had to work hard, but to her credit, she really kept on giving.

“Over ground, I believe she’ll get to the top level. But I’m not going to ask too much of her this time. I’ve got things like the Waikato Cup (Group Three, 2400m) in mind for next season. There are a couple of fillies and mares’ races coming up over the next few months, those could be nice options for her.”

Vendor	Cambridge Stud
Purchaser	Mr SA Sharrock (New Plymouth)
Breeding	Ocean Park – Repenting
Sale	Lot 369, 2017 Premier Sale, $35,000
Bred by	Sir Patrick & Lady Hogan