Shumoos gains first pattern race success

Brian Meehan’s talented juvenile filly Shumoos finally gained the pattern race success she has deserved all term when getting the better of a dour struggle with Vocational to land the Group 3 Betfred Bonus King Sirenia Stakes at Kempton park on Saturday and could next take her chance at the highest level in the Group 1 Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on September 24 , writes Elliot Slater.

The daughter of star US racehorse Distorted Humour cost owner Fawzi Abdullah Nass some $375,000 at last autumn’s Keeneland Sales and has at last confirmed the tremendous promise she showed on her first two career outings. Following a four-and-a-half-length drubbing of subsequent Royal ascot winner Frederick Engels on her debut at Haydock in May, Shumoos failed by only a short-head,  justifying 6/5 favoruitism in the Horse racing betting in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, coming off second best in a desperate photo finish with Best Terms.

A decent third to the smart Gamilati in the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting, Meehan’s filly then ran well below-par at York last month when beating just one home in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes, pulling uncharacteristically hard in the early stages before dropping right away after being hampered approaching the final furlong. At Kempton Martin Dwyer’s mount settled much better before making her run two furlongs from home, eventually getting the better of the useful Vocational well inside the final furlong before being driven right out to score by a head.

A delighted Meehan now has the option of heading to the Rowley Mile course for the Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs and those who bet on racing feel that next term the mile of the 1000 Guineas (for which she is generally on offer at 33/1), will be well within the filly’s compass.