Our Shangri Lana brings Dolan first G1 success

The Dunstan Horsefeeds Sires’ Stakes Final at the Addington harness racing track today (Nov. 17) didn’t go to script with many expecting that favourite Coastal Babe (Downbytheseaside) would take up the leader’s role from her two barrier.

But it was the Steve Dolan trained filly Our Shangri Lana (Art Major) in the hands of young Australian driver Cam Hart that kicked up on the inside from barrier one to take the front as the barrier blasted away.

“I thought we would trail. Cam asked me what I wanted (him) to do, did I want to have a crack for the lead? I said it was up to him and that’s the beauty of putting a good driver on, let them choose the fate of the horse and where they should be in the running based off what they feel like,” Dolan said.

Hart judged the situation perfectly.

“She got off the gate so good and I wanted to put myself there to start with and weigh things up. I opened up a gap for her (Coastal Babe) to get on my back. She felt awesome, so I thought we would hold the front and take luck out of the equation. She’s such a big strong filly for a two-year-old,” he said.

The Christchurch weather proved to be a factor in the Group One feature too.

“It was a very hard day. Drizzly rain, very cold and a big head wind down the back, so it’s a good effort to lead all the way but I knew she was strong enough,” Hart said.

The winning margin was a neck from the fast-finishing Madrid (Bettor’s Delight) with three quarters of a length back to Treacherous Love (Captaintreacherous). The winning time for the 1980 metres was 2-25.8 with the last 800 metres run in 60.0.

The win added to the tremendous Cup Week Hart is having, having won the Group One IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup on Tuesday.

“The support has been huge since I’ve been here. I pinch myself at the drives I’ve been able to pick up and just glad I could get a few results for everyone involved.”

He said the style of racing in New Zealand is different.

“Obviously bigger fields and a lot more handing up and taking the trail. I still like it and you just have to adapt to everywhere you go. I’m lucky enough to have been here a few times now and I’m sort of getting used to it.”

With Our Shangri Lana having just her fourth start today her career is all ahead of her.

“I’m excited about that. She’s a really lovely filly and I thought it was probably going to take a little bit more time to get to the level where she was going to win a Group One” Dolan said.

However the win didn’t catch him completely off guard.

“It’s not a surprise, but this has come a little earlier than I expected.”

The win was the Russley trainers first Group One and adds to the outstanding record he has with fillies and mares such as Castellina Lover (McArdle) and Amore Vita (Art Major).

“I love training them. There’s a bit of preservation that goes into training fillies and mares, and I quite enjoy that. It’s about getting them to the post in the best possible way and being a little bit kind to them. I think that has worked for me.”

OUR SHANGRI LANA REPLAY

Dolan says Our Shangri Lana hasn’t been an easy horse to prepare.

“She’s been a bit of a headache since I got her. She had a little bit of an injury with an abscess, so we had to scratch her from the first heat. She got knocked over in the second heat and then I was in Australia watching Amore Vita and missed the nomination for Ashburton which upset the owner greatly. I think he’s forgiven me after today. I think I‘ll be okay now.”

Our Shangri Lana is owned by Kelvin Home Holding Limited which is John and Marsha McKenzie.

“It’s my first horse for them so it’s pretty exciting and I’m stoked. They have a great breed, and she is another one. The mother Delightful Lana was a lovely horse and this horse is too. It won’t be her last Group One so it’s pretty exciting moving forward.”

Dolan says the next race for this exciting filly will be on Grand Prix Day at Addington on December 10^th.

 “Hopefully she’ll go as well as she did today.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink