Shanghai Bobby's Shang Shang Shang Holds On In the Norfolk

Wesley Ward leads in Shang Shang Shang | Racing Post

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It was inconceivable that Wesley Ward would go home with a blank at Royal Ascot and Breeze Easy's Apr. 26 Keeneland maiden special weight winner Shang Shang Shang (Shanghai Bobby) duly stepped up to provide the customary victory in the G2 Norfolk S., a “Win And You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Quickest away under Joel Rosario in contrast to the barn's G2 Queen Mary S. favourite Chelsea Cloisters (First Samurai), the 5-1 shot kept finding as Pocket Dynamo (Dialed In) fought hard and at the line it was just a nose that separated them, with Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never) a half length back in third. Despite celebrating a 10th Royal winner, Ward was quick to send the attention elsewhere. “I want to say something about the jockey–he's fabulous and put his time and effort in every day for me over the winter and that's why he's here,” he said. “This is the best–there's nothing like it. I went to bed early last night, as I wanted to get rid of the bad luck and look forward to the rest of the meeting and it was a beautiful ride from Joel. He had ice water in his veins.”

Sold at the OBS Winter Mixed Sale before going back for OBS March, Shang Shang Shang who had won over an extended four furlongs on dirt at Keeneland represents Michael Hall and Samuel Ross's Breeze Easy LLC in Florida. This is their biggest moment after the Jim McKay Turf Sprint S. success of Imprimis (Broken Vow). Ward added, “To do this with a filly is quite unbelievable. I come here every year, but we were kinda scratching our heads for a few days and felt like we were back at the beginning and wondering if we were in the wrong place or not. I felt this filly was better than Chelsea Cloisters on firm ground, but not on soft ground. Unfortunately Chelsea Cloisters just didn't get a breather like this filly did.” Rosario, who was winning here for the second time having steered No Nay Never in the 2013 G2 Norfolk S., commented, “She broke well and was very calm in the beginning. I had to use a bit of her pace to get to the front and to help her get into her stride. She was very brave. It means a lot to me to have another winner at Royal Ascot. There are amazing people who come here and it is a dream come true to win–I'm really happy and blessed to be here.” The stakes-winning dam Yankee Victoria (Yankee Victor) is a stakes-placed granddaughter of the Duchess S. and Detroit Miss H. scorer Elderberry Drive (Strawberry Road {Aus}), whose sire son Fistfite (Two Punch) took the GIII Cowdin S. Her 2017 filly by Take Charge Indy was bought for just $28,000 by First Finds at the OBS Winter Mixed Sale, while she also has a filly foal by Paynter.

There was an American feel to the result, with the runner-up Pocket Dynamo by Dialed In and from the family of the GSW Blue Tone (Birdstone). His trainer Robert Cowell said, “I thought he was over-priced going into the race, as he's a tough horse who has been in a battle before at Longchamp so I expected him to run well. They went frenetically fast and he was in front a metre after the line, so I'm very proud of him and he's an exciting horse for the rest of the season. Probably, [Glorious] Goodwood will be on his agenda. Mickael said he's done everything beautifully and probably feels like he's won the race. He said he felt almost a stone better than when he last rode him at Longchamp, so he's maturing a lot.” Land Force's trainer Aidan O'Brien said, “He ran really well and we're pleased. We will probably move him back up to six furlongs now.”

Thursday, Royal Ascot, Britain
NORFOLK S.-G2, £100,000, Ascot, 6-21, 2yo, 5fT, :59.83, g/f.
1–SHANG SHANG SHANG, 124, f, 2, by Shanghai Bobby
1st Dam: Yankee Victoria (SP-US, $193,510), by Yankee Victor
2nd Dam: Buy the Dips, by Meadowlake
3rd Dam: Elderberry Drive, by Strawberry Road (Aus)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. ($110,000 Ylg '17 OBSWIN; $200,000 2yo '18 OBSMAR). O-Breeze Easy LLC; B-Kris R Del Giudice (FL); T-Wesley Ward; J-Joel Rosario. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $101,524. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”sbmtrainingandsales-brokenandtrained”][bullet ad=”summerfieldsales-sold”][bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”florida-breds-ftboa”][bullet ad=”us-bred”]2–Pocket Dynamo, 127, c, 2, Dialed In–Little Bit Tiny, by Cuvee. ($20,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $35,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-T W Morley; B-Jocelyn Shutkas (KY); T-Robert Cowell. £21,500.[bullet ad=”vinery-ea-ventures-purchased-foal-by-catlyn-spivey”][bullet ad=”hunter-valley-sold-for-catlyn-spivey”][bullet ad=”darbydan-shell”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]3–Land Force (Ire), 127, c, 2, No Nay Never">No Nay Never–Theann (GB), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). (€350,000 Ylg '17 GOFOR). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Mrs Evie Stockwell (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £10,760.
Margins: NO, HF, 1HF. Odds: 5.00, 20.00, 7.00.
Also Ran: Rumble Inthejungle (Ire), Konchek (GB), Kinks (GB), Glory Fighter (GB), Charming Kid (GB), Vintage Brut (GB), The Paddocks (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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