Sire: Shalaa
Colour: Bay
Dam: Fire Gully
Sex: Filly
Age: 3
Foaled: Sep 20, 2021
Country: Australia
Trainer: John Thompson
Incentives: 
Owners: J V O'Neill, Ms L M Nagle, T J Pemberton, Mrs K Vincent, M J Curtain, C P Tierney, Mrs L Harris, R A Warren, P A Carmont, B Elliott, P J Cooper, S B Dixon, J Talone, A P Blair & 3's A Spree (Mgr: D J Lovegrove)
Shalaa (Ire) / Fire Gully Filly 2021
5% shares $7,750
10% shares $15,500
John Thompson to Train
I place a lot of importance on our visit to the Hunter Valley in December where we inspect about half the yearlings in the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale. This year I was knocked over when this filly was paraded at Arrowfield Stud. She is a stunning filly. A beautifully balanced athlete with a great hindquarter.
I have closely watch the progeny of Shalaa since they first sold here a couple of years ago. I loved Shaquero when I inspected him at Fernrigg Stud and have regrated not buying him. He was a terrific athlete as is this filly.
At the 2021 Inglis Premier Sale I fell in love with a filly by Shalaa and secured her for $90,000. She turned out to be Quang Tri, Shalaa’s best daughter to race in Australia.
I was of the opinion the wrong types of mares were going to Shalaa producing heavy yearlings. This trend seems to have changed and this filly is representative of the types of fillies I have inspected by Shalaa over the past couple of years.
This filly comes from a great family with Fire Gully being by Pierro with her being a ½ sister to the Champion sprinter Ortensia. This is a serious pedigree page with high quality ‘black type’ performers across the page.
One of the big attractions was the fact the filly is out of a Pierro mare. Pierro won the Golden Slipper and was an outstanding 2yo. He has been a very good sire and looks like being perhaps even a better broodmare sire.
To date he has had 18 starters out of his daughters with 4 stakes horses including Australia’s best 3yo sprinter Jacquinot. To give you an idea this sees him running at 22.2% stakes horses to runners compared with our Champion Broodmare Sire Redoute’s Choice at 10.6%.
The filly was reared at Arrowfield Stud. I have had great success buying from the Arrowfield group.
Over the years I have purchased six fillies from the Arrowfield Group. The latest is the unraced 2yo filly Shyleah by Shalaa.
We have a 3yo filly Gold Pattern who is placed from just two starts.
The other four were the stakes winners Hidden Wonder and Hijack Hussy as well as the winners Magnifique Lass and Hoop. The four cost $197,500 and returned $957,976 in stakes earnings. They were sold for $760,500 at the completion of their racing careers with foals from them fetching $2,203,500 in the sales ring to now.
Hidden Wonder’s best foal was Derero ($233,315 stakes money), Hoop’s best Hasseltoff ($406,400 stakes money, only foal), Magnifique Lass’s best Policiere ($331,100, stakes placed) with Hijack Hussy yet to produce a place getter with her three yearlings selling for $1,600,000!!!
It is hard to argue with these statistics. They are outstanding.
The filly will be paid up for the Magic Millions Race Series as well as being nominated for the Golden Slipper. I will send her to John Thompson at Randwick to take advantage of her BOBS qualification.
