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With a thrilling victory in Saturday’s BOP Equine Vets Open Handicap (1400m), classy mare Fashion Shoot headlined a big day at Tauranga for Te Akau Racing and set herself up for a Group One assignment at the end of this month.
Fashion Shoot was one of four winners on the eight-race card for Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, who also won the Mills Reef Wines (1400m) with Family Ties, the Frocked Up Girls 3YO (1200m) with promoted winner Valentine, and the World's End Bar and Restaurant (1200m) with Aequus.
Saturday's $50,000 race was a milestone victory for Fashion Shoot, who took her career earnings past the $300,000 barrier and also booked herself a ticket to the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on March 30.
Ridden by Kelly Myers, Fashion Shoot settled in third-last among Saturday's small but select field of eight.
The race developed into a four-horse war down the straight, with Fashion Shoot striding up on the outside of the quality Andrew Forsman-trained pair of Mustang Valley and Saint Bathans, while Karman Line poked through along the inside.
There was little separating the quartet through the last 50m, but Fashion Shoot lunged at the line and snatched victory by a nose. Mustang Valley beat Saint Bathans by a head for the runner-up spot, with the same margin back to Karman Line in fourth.
Fashion Shoot has now had 31 starts for seven wins, 13 placings and $304,980 in stakes for the Te Akau In Vogue Syndicate. Her best win to date came with a brilliant finishing burst in the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders' Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton in November.
"It was a really good win today and should give her that winning confidence before heading into the Breeders' Stakes," Walker said. "I think we pulled the right rein going to Tauranga, rather than a trip to Trentham for the Cuddle Stakes (Gr.3, 1600m).
"She's been a good consistent mare for a long time, she's having a great season as a six-year-old and she's going to make a beautiful broodmare when she's finished racing. She's got a great pedigree."
By Savabeel out of the multiple Group Three-winning O'Reilly mare High Fashion, Fashion Shoot was bought by David Ellis for $320,000 from Waikato Stud's draft at Karaka 2019.
"She's a tough and talented race mare, Fashion Shoot, and becoming a very valuable and commercial breeding proposition," Ellis said. "All the team at the farm and the stables have done a fantastic job with her and we're seeing her racing at her absolute best now."
The TAB now rates Fashion Shoot a $12 chance for the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes. That market is headed by La Crique ($3.20), Molly Bloom ($4), Pearl Of Alsace ($6) and Mustang Valley ($8).
