Shamus Award – The Rise and Rise
Having delved into the 2021 mare book for Cox Plate winning sire So You Think last week, we thought it would be interesting to investigate another Cox Plate winning sire and this one covered the dam of the world’s best sprinter last spring.
As a Cox Plate and Australian Guineas winner, Shamus Award was the Champion 3YO of his generation, but it’s really only been in the last year that the son of champion sire Snitzel has been given the respect he deserves as a sire.
The current season has been a particular eye opener with Shamus Award producing six stakes—winners, all of them Group winners and three of them Group I winners in Incentivise, Duais and El Patroness.
Shamus Award started his career at Widden Stud, but is now in Victoria with Rosemont Stud, who set his fee at $33,000 last spring.
Breeders were quick to sniff out a sire on the up, still priced at value and Shamus Award covered 216 mares making him the busiest sire in Victoria and the second busiest in the country behind only Capitalist.
This year he has been priced more in keeping with his stature at $88,000 and will no doubt cover his best ever book of mares, but the foals in the pipeline for this year hold plenty of interest with one in particular set to garner international media attention.
A couple of the Group I producers covered by Shamus Award in the list below did not go in foal and Spectacula, (dam of dual Group I winner Global Glamour) sadly died in December last year.
We can however confirm that Nature Strip’s dam Strikeline is safely in foal and is due in late September.
STAKES WINNERS
| Mare | Born | Country | Damsire | Best win |
| Mirjulisa Lass | 2007 | AUS | Danasinga | G1 |
| Azkadellia | 2011 | NZ | Shinko King | G1 |
| Vintedge | 2005 | AUS | Flying Spur | G2 |
| Winterinthewoods | 2005 | SAF | Western Winter | G2 |
| Tahanee | 2012 | ARG | Stormy Atlantic | G3 |
| Ana Royale | 2013 | AUS | Anacheeva | G3 |
| Fancy Feet | 2009 | AUS | Fath | G3 |
| Hear The Chant | 2013 | AUS | Nicconi | G3 |
| Pixilim | 2013 | BRZ | Agnes Gold | G3 |
| Unchain My Heart | 2006 | AUS | Al Maher | Listed |
| Sweet Cheeks | 2007 | AUS | General Nediym | Listed |
| Sophia Babe | 2006 | AUS | Iglesia | Listed |
| Marveen | 2005 | AUS | Orientate | Listed |
| Blondie | 2014 | AUS | Reward For Effort | Listed |
| Cosmic Alert | 2015 | AUS | Star Witness | Listed |
| Scratchy Lass | 2011 | AUS | U S Ranger | Listed |
| Dance To My Tune | 2004 | CAN | Stravinsky | Listed |
| Its Time For Magic | 2013 | NZ | Per Incanto | Listed |
STAKES PRODUCERS
| Mare | Born | Damsire | Horse | Best Win |
| Strikeline | 2000 | Desert Sun | Nature Strip | G1 |
| Admirelle | 2003 | General Nediym | Sizzling | G1 |
| Condesaar | 2004 | Xaar | Yankee Rose | G1 |
| Special Favour | 2009 | General Nediym | Mr Quickie | G1 |
| Spectacula | 2004 | Testa Rossa | Global Glamour | G1 |
| Sure You Can | 2010 | O’Reilly | El Patroness | G1 |
| Generous Nature | 2003 | Carnegie | Savvy Nature | G2 |
| Take All Of Me | 2005 | Jeune | I’Ll Have A Bit | G2 |
| Attessa | 2006 | Belong to Me | High Seas Beauty | G3 |
| Condesaar | 2004 | Xaar | Miravalle | G3 |
| Crossyourheart | 2004 | Show A Heart | Swear | G3 |
| Generous Nature | 2003 | Carnegie | Addictive Nature | G3 |
| Hissy Miss | 2003 | Golden Snake | Glass Warrior | G3 |
| Is It A Mosquito | 2011 | Bel Esprit | Swats That | G3 |
| Love Of Liberty | 2009 | General Nediym | Ellsberg | G3 |
| M’Lady Hallowell | 2011 | Wanted | Hoi An | G3 |
| Miss Ethics | 2003 | Count Dubois | Ethical Solution | G3 |
| Quietzer | 2006 | More Than Ready | Hear The Chant | G3 |
| Sovereign Charm | 2005 | Show A Heart | Sovereign Award | G3 |
| Baize | 2008 | Commands | Corner Pocket | Listed |
| Carolina Bella | 2006 | Zabeel | Mickey Blue Eyes | Listed |
| Cheers Rihanna | 2009 | General Nediym | Struck By | Listed |
| It’s You | 1999 | Celtic Swing | Yourein | Listed |
| Lunar Lights | 2005 | Bianconi | Honey’S Steel Gold | Listed |
| Miss Encosta | 2006 | Encosta De Lago | Captain Duffy | Listed |
| My Tusker | 2001 | Volksraad | Game Keeper | Listed |
| Sophia Babe | 2006 | Iglesia | Final Salute | Listed |
| Special Mission | 2004 | Towkay | Redouble | Listed |
| Strikeline | 2000 | Desert Sun | The Barrister | Listed |
SIRES OF DAMS COVERED BY SHAMUS AWARD (6 or more mares)
In this table we’ve had a look at the sires of these quality mares that have gone to Shamus Award and looked to see the success rate of the nick in terms of winner to runner and SW to runner.
The overall statistics for Shamus Award are 64.5% winner to runner and 7% SW to runner.
| Broodmare Sire | Number of Mares | Winner to runner | SW to runner |
| Bel Esprit | 12 | 75% | 25% 1 SW 4 runners |
| More Than Ready (USA) | 12 | 100% | 40% 2 SW (1 G1) 5 runners |
| Encosta de Lago | 8 | 60% | 10% 1 SW 10 runners |
| General Nediym | 8 | 75% | 20% 2 SW (1 G1) 10 runners |
| Star Witness | 8 | 20% 5 runners 1 winner | |
| Savabeel | 6 | No runners |
Read more on this article by Tara Madgwick here https://www.breednet.com.au/news/18259/shamus-award-%E2%80%93-the-rise-and-rise
