Alkass Digital
The trio of owner Wathnan Racing, trainer Karl Burke and jockey James Doyle struck in the opener for the second successive day with a two-year-old – Shareholder landing the Gr.2 Norfolk Stakes at the Royal Ascot on Thursday.
The Trio claimed the opening Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday’s card with the impressive Leovanni and Shareholder followed the suit for the same connections in the day-three curtain-raiser.
Turning out just 12 days after overcoming greenness to make a successful debut at Beverley, the colt travelled strongly throughout in the five-strong group that raced on the far side of the track and despite edging left late on, he passed the post a length to the good.
Tropical Storm filled the runner-up spot, with Arizona Blaze a close-up third and 10-11 favourite Whistlejacket in fourth.
“He’s still learning, his debut was a bit messy at Beverley which is a hard place to teach a horse,” Doyle said of the colt, who recorded the third-fastest time in the race’s history at Ascot and was just two ticks off Valiant Force’s time of 12 months earlier.
“I tried to keep a lid on him for as long as possible, as I just wanted to give him time to get organised. He took time to get balanced up but, once he did, he always felt as though he had enough in the tank to keep going. He’s got a big engine. Karl was very confident and when he is that confident, you respect his opinion.”
Trainer Burke feels the best is still to come from Shareholder.
“He is a very good horse I think, he did a lot wrong first time out when we’d only had him for six weeks. That was his first run and we had to back him up quickly to come here, he took a huge step forward after that first run.
“Mentally, as well as physically, he improved and I think you saw that there. That was the plan and I’ll get home and discuss it with the guys from Wathnan, but I’d see no problem stepping him up to six furlongs, maybe more. I’d be surprised if he’d be a Guineas horse – though I wouldn’t rule it out, I would be surprised. We’re still learning a lot about this horse but from what I’ve seen so far, I think he’s very good,” he said.
Bred by Skyfall Thoroughbreds Llc, Shareholder is out of Cloudy Dancer (Invincible Spirit), who is a half-sister to Gr.3 winner Gale Force Ten (Oasis Dream) and a half-sister to Listed winner Rousay (Muhaarar).