Tuesday 19 July 2005
SHAWANDA won the Irish Oaks, her first Group 1 outing, in remarkable style. Sitting comfortably in mid-division until the final straight, she accelerated easily and cruised down the straight to outclass the rest of the field. Closest to her 5 lengths back was Playful Act, with Mona Lisa and Right Key tussling for third.
Shawanda's dam Shamawna is a Group placed daughter of Darshaan while her half-sister Shawara won the Prix de Lieurey. Shamawna was sold in foal to Kalanisi at Goffs November sales last year to Italy's Razza Pallorsi.
The fourth stakes winner for Sinndar in 2005, Shawanda will now head for the Prix Vermeille en route to the Arc. Sinndar's other 3 stakes winners in 2005 are the afore-mentioned Moonlight Dance, winner of Saturday's International Stakes GR 3 ahead of Lock and Key and Democratic Deficit, Louvain (Flawlessly Stakes LR) and Gale Force (Coupe des Trois Ans LR) from his first crop of 3 year olds.
Sinndar's other daughter in the race, Moyglare Stakes 2nd Pictavia was reported to be slightly lame after her run in the Irish Oaks, while Hazariya, owned and bred by the Aga Khan, was pulled up during the race and later found to have suffered a hairline fracture of her off-fore cannon bone. She will be retired to stud. Updated 18/07/2005.