G2 Coventry S. hero Berkshire Shadow (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has been purchased by Australian Bloodstock and will be trained in Australia by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
The gelding was trained by Andrew Balding for Berkshire Parts & Panels, Ltd. No1 Fanclub. He won the Listed Lady Wulfruna S. in March and the All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions S. this year, and was also third in the G1 Lockinge S. He reported home fifth in the G1 Queen Anne S. and, in his final start on English soil, ran sixth in the G3 Criterion S. in July. The grey will travel on the same flight as fellow Australian Bloodstock purchase and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) and stablemate Light Infantry (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}).
“Very rarely do the calibre of these horses come here and that's why we are a little bit excited,” Australian Bloodstock's Luke Murrell told Racing.com of Berkshire Shadow and New Energy's pending arrival.
“To be able to get two in a season, you obviously still need all the luck in the world, but they are really, really hard to find anywhere in the world.
“He is still a borderline Group 1 horse over there. That's why we are hoping he can come here and be that dominant Group 1 weight-for-age horse.”
The A$5-million King Charles III S. at Randwick over a mile on Oct. 14 is a potential target for both horses.
“We are going to target the Kings Charles for big money and maybe look to split them up after that,” Murrell added.
“Both horses long term, we really want to win that All-Star Mile again, so hopefully all going well they will get into that. He might be like Brave Smash (Jpn) (Tosen Phantom {Jpn}) in that 1400-1600m range.
“The positive is Berkshire Shadow can go forward or back and he has got a turn of foot like Top Ranked who unfortunately we never saw the best of.
“Outside his last run, which they put down to a low-grade virus, he vetted clear and is super consistent and has been racing the best milers up there.”
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