Cover image courtesy of Bruno Cannatelli
The Ciaron Maher-trained Shockletz (NZ) (Shocking) capped off a strong autumn campaign with a determined victory in the $200,000 Mahogany Challenge Final for 3-year-olds over 2500 metres at Flemington last Saturday.
Carrying the familiar Eales Racing colours, also worn by her Melbourne Cup-winning sire Shocking, the filly delivered a special win for Eales Racing and his fellow connections. She had to overcome a wide run and a slow tempo, but jockey Harry Coffey timed his challenge perfectly, and Shockletz surged late to score in impressive staying fashion.
Laurence Eales winning the 2009 Emirates Melbourne Cup | Image courtesy of Eales Racing
“I was a bit worried there for a while, but she got herself out of a tricky spot,” Eales said.
“She was well back, there was no temp, and she had to come wide, but she found a way. We are hoping that she’s a promising stayer of the future, and she has given us every hope that she may well be.”
“We are hoping that she’s (Shockletz {NZ}) a promising stayer of the future, and she has given us every hope that she may well be.” - Laurence Eales
The victory was the result of a patient approach after the filly took longer than expected to come to hand this prep.
“It was a great finals series, and we picked up a lot of prizemoney,” Eales said. “We did have some thoughts on going to one of the Oaks, but it took her a while to get to full fitness, it probably took an extra four weeks than what we thought, so that put us on the back foot in terms of an Oaks preparation, so we went the winter series path.
“She seems to love Flemington, as did her sire. She is also very tough. Harry Coffey said after her win that she had no right to win from where she was and the way the race was run. She should have given up, but she finds a way.”
Now headed for a short spell, Shockletz will return in the back end of the spring, with no major plans locked in.
“She’ll now have a break for three weeks. She does well in the paddock, and it takes a bit to get her back to full fitness, so she will be ready at the back of spring,” Eales said.
“We have no real plan of where, we will work that out as we go. We are wary that it can be tough for a 4-year-old stepping up in grade. We do think she has a lot of maturing to do, so we will see how it goes and give her more time if needed.”
“We do think she has a lot of maturing to do, so we will see how it goes and give her more time if needed.” - Laurence Eales
She's an exciting mare for the boutique operation.
“We are pretty small, I only buy between two and four yearlings a year,” Eales said.
“So we don’t need much buy-in. We have a good handful of loyal clients, and that keeps us relatively unexposed.
“I like the spot we are in at the moment. We’ve had good success, and Flemington has been a particularly good track to us. In recent times, aside from Shockletz, we’ve had Benedetta, Horrifying, and Midtown Boss.
“We are what I would say a boutique business, and have a small family-like group of owners. I do mainly buy them, but I do breed the odd one like Shockletz, so I guess it’s a bit of a mixture.
“We are what I would say a boutique business, and have a small family-like group of owners.” - Laurence Eales
“I do always look to keep a majority share, so I’m in with my clients from the start. I think that gives buyers a bit of confidence knowing that I’m always in and there for the whole ride whether it goes well or not.”
A family connection and proven cross
Eales bred Shockletz and races her with a loyal group of clients. He purchased her dam Zelt (Red Ransom {USA}) in 2018 with the specific intention of mating her with Shocking, who stands at Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand.
Eales became further invested into the family, when having purchased Zelt, he also purchased a Shocking colt out of Zelt as a yearling for NZ$70,000 from the Rich Hill draft at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. Later named Horrifying (NZ) (Shocking), he became a very handy galloper in his own right, as well as increasing the record and value of his dam, who Eales had purchased.
Horrifying went on to become a durable and successful galloper for the team, winning seven races from 1500 to 2800 metres, and placing in the G3 Carbine Club Stakes as a 3-year-old. He ended his career with over $715,000 in prizemoney.
Horrifying (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Horrifying retired as of last week. One of his owners has taken him on, so that’s great,” Eales said.
“A lot of the owners in Horrifying bought shares in the Shockletz syndicate, so it’s been great to carry on with them with the full sister.
“He wasn’t a foundation horse, far from it, but it feels like Horrifying has rejuvenated everything and kept the owners reinvesting. It’s been a great ride with him, and now it continues on to Shockletz.
“The old girl (Zelt) was a great producer. She did a great job for us.”
“He (Horrifying ) wasn’t a foundation horse, but it feels like Horrifying has rejuvenated everything and kept the owners reinvesting. It’s been a great ride with him, and now it continues on to Shockletz.” - Laurence Eales
A special relationship with Shocking
Eales has been fortunate to race some exceptional horses, including two sons of Street Cry (Ire) in Whobegotyou and Shocking.
Whobegotyou was a two-time Group 1 winner, and six-time Group 2 winner and collected $3.26 million in prizemoney, while Shocking added Group 1 wins in the Melbourne Cup and Australian Cup and earned just under $5 million.
The fact that Shocking went to stud and has been successful, has made it even more meaningful for Eales.
“Shocking can sire a great staying type. He has been very special to me, and it is special to race any of his progeny, so the success of Horrifying, Vegas Jewel, and Shockletz has been very exciting and rewarding for myself.
Shocking | Standing at Rich Hill Stud
“For the number of mares he gets, and the quality he sometimes serves, he does a great job, horses like I’m Thunderstruck, Fanatic, Hezashocka, Here To Shock, and El Vencedor in recent times.
“He can produce a nice horse. He is a Zabeel-type stallion in terms of his progeny enjoy a bit of time and distance.
“He can produce a nice horse. He is a Zabeel-type stallion in terms of his progeny enjoy a bit of time and distance.” - Laurence Eales
“Shocking had that bit of class. He was a Makybe Diva Stakes winner over a mile, a Melbourne Cup winner over 3200 metres, and he won a maiden race over 1300 metres. He was very versatile, and he has left that with his progeny.”
At a service fee of NZ$10,000, Shocking has produced 226 winners and 25 stakes winners, a healthy 6.2 per cent stakes winners-to-runners ratio. Like himself, many of his progeny are very versatile.
El Vencedor (NZ) has Group 1 wins at both 1600 and 2000 metres, while Fanatic (NZ) won the G1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) was a dual G1 winner at a mile, and Here To Shock (NZ) has been a Group 1 winner at weight-for-age level in New Zealand over 1400 metres. However, the hallmark of the Shocking breed remains toughness and staying power.
El Vencedor (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
An eye for Roberto
From a relatively small buying base, Eales has found repeated success with runners carrying the Red Ransom (USA) / Roberto (USA) sireline through their dams.
The granddam of Shocking, Macrina Pompea (Ire), is by Don Roberto (USA), a son of Roberto. The dam of Group 1 winning sprinter Benedetta, Whatalovelyday is by Domesday, a son of Red Ransom. Shockletz and her full brother Horrifying are out of Zelt (Red Ransom {USA}), continuing that successful link.
“I have had a lot of success buying progeny that have Red Ransom / Roberto line in the damline, Benedetta, Horrifying, Shockletz, and Shocking himself.
“I have had a lot of success buying progeny that have Red Ransom / Roberto line in the damline, Benedetta, Horrifying, Shockletz, and Shocking himself.” - Laurence Eales
“I think it helps breed that toughness into them. We have had success with it, so I’ve carried on buying horses bred that way through the dam.
“I like a bit of Mr Prospector on the sire side as well when it works, and that’s what Shocking brings to the plate. And we are prepared to wait for our horses to enable them to get to their best.”
When Eales was asked whether carrying on this link, is an example of going back to the well with what has worked for him, he replied “Absolutely, when it works, and you have had success with it, why not keep it going.”
Small but effective
Eales’ syndication journey began in 2007 when he went to the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and picked out Whobegotyou for just $19,000. The gelding went on to win nearly $3.2 million and placed in 21 Group races from 27 career starts, including the 2008 G1 Caulfield Guineas and 2009 G1 Yalumba Stakes.
Later that year, Eales attended the Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses In Training Sale and stretched his budget to secure a colt for $64,000. That colt would become Shocking, winner of the 2009 Melbourne Cup and the 2011 Australian Cup, amassing nearly $5 million in prizemoney.
Despite those early headline-making results, Eales Racing has deliberately remained boutique.
“We are a small company, and I like it that way. We are a boutique operation, and from what I hear around a lot of the other syndicators and buyers is that it is become increasingly difficult to sell shares in horses.
“I am happy with what size we are, and as long as we keep getting results and I can keep my select group of owners happy, then I’m happy.”
