Shane Nichols watched the Futurity Stakes from his usual spot in the Caulfield stand. With absolutely no disrespect towards Streets Of Avalon’s five owners and their friends and families, the trainer preferred to collect his thoughts and closely observe the running of the race on the big screen.
In the first euphoric moments after Streets Of Avalon had rallied bravely to beat Super Seth, Shane was glad to be alone. He quietly soaked up the joy of his second Group 1, and enjoyed being an onlooker as the owners and friends unabashedly “went bananas” some distance to his right.
The trainer admits to sharing a “man embrace” with fellow trainer Simon Zahra who just happened to be first on the scene. Strapper Johnno Allan was the next to be on the receiving end of a post-race hug from his jubilant boss.
A win in a race of this stature endorses the job Shane and his loyal team are doing at their idyllic Mornington base. “Like many trainers I purchase yearlings at high profile sales at home and in NZ and offer them for syndication,” said Shane. “I’ve signed off on twelve yearlings so far from the Magic Millions, Inglis Classic, Karaka, Perth Magic Millions and I’ll be at the upcoming Inglis Premier Sale.”
Image courtesy Racing Photos - Shane finally got to say thanks to his second Group 1 winner.
Streets Of Avalon wasn’t a product of the sale ring. He was actually bred by part owner Phillip Warren whose original intention was to offer him at a Ready to Race sale. “We got him ready for the sale and he breezed a nice 200 metres,” recalled Shane. “Phillip was confident of a pleasing sale but the colt’s subsequent X/Rays dashed his hopes. He had niggling issues which would have greatly devalued him.”
Phillip gave the Magnus colt more time in the paddock, before deciding to syndicate him among friends. He retained a 60% share and sold four 10% shares to Dave Healy, Paul Farrell, Dave Dobe and Steve Foxwell at $2000 per share. Eight wins and seventeen placings have returned the five year old $1,153,210, plus a level of enjoyment that can never be estimated.
Image courtesy Racing Photos - Streets Of Avalon was syndicated at a value of $20,000. He's won over $1.1 million.
The slow maturing Streets Of Avalon did little in his first three starts on country tracks as a late two year old. His form picked up in the spring of 2017 and after three placings he won his maiden at Bairnsdale with Clayton Douglas on board.
He then put together five consecutive placings on city tracks culminating in a close third in the Group 3 Zeditave Stakes behind Overshare and Hinchinlove. He disappointed slightly when unplaced in the Listed Incognitus Stakes at Flemington and Shane whisked him to the paddock.
An unlikely stable accident befell the gelding during his three year old campaign which could have ended his career. He sustained a skull fracture just below eye level when kicked by another horse on the walking machine.
“We were horrified at first but the vets gave us a heartening report and he healed quickly,” recalled the trainer. “The injury has never come against him, but he does have a very noticeable indentation where the fracture occurred.”
The gelding had ten runs in the spring of 2018 for metropolitan wins at Caulfield and Moonee Valley, and three city placings before being turned out again.
The maturity factor started to kick in next preparation when he reeled off nine runs for three wins - an Open Hcp at Flemington, a Listed event at Mornington and the Gr 3 Victoria Hcp at Caulfield. He also posted four placings.
He won only the Caulfield Moonga Hcp (Gr 3) from seven starts next preparation, but he was racing in much tougher company. One of his unplaced efforts was a good fourth in the Gr 1 Rupert Clarke Stakes.
He returned on Jan 25th following a brief spell with a listed placing at Caulfield, followed three weeks later by a second placing in a Flemington Open Hcp at 1400 metres. This brought him to the time honoured Futurity Stakes on a track which significantly favoured on pace runners.
Despite conditions treating him very kindly, he still had to do all of the bullocking and steadfastly refused to surrender to a very serious racehorse in Super Seth with ten time Gr 1 winner Melody Belle well astern of them in third place.
Image courtesy Racing Photos - Streets of Avalon refused to yield in the closing stages of the Futurity.
The five year old’s win propels him into the All Stars Mile on March 14th.
“Why not ?” was Shane’s reaction. “It’s worth $5 million dollars, he’s super fit and in a great frame of mind. Of course he’ll be there.”
The emergence of Streets Of Avalon is a timely boost for the Mornington trainer who was left a little flat when his bonny mare I Am A Star retired almost a year ago. Nichols guided the daughter of I Am Invincible to ten wins and six placings for $1,564,300 - a massive return on her purchase price of $40,000 at an Inglis Classic Sale.
I Am A Star won the Group 1 Myer Classic, backed up by four Group 2 and three Group 3 wins. She failed to meet her reserve at the Gold Coast Broodmare sale last year and was immediately despatched to Newgate Farm where she conceived to Deep Field’s very first covering of the season.
Tahitian Dancer isn’t I Am A Star, but she’s a useful mare who’s getting better all the time. She’s won five from only seventeen starts and was very impressive coming from near last to win a listed mares race at Eagle Farm just after Xmas. Her rider Damian Oliver was suitably impressed.
Tahitian Dancer is back in work with an ambitious programme ahead culminating in the Gr 1 Tatts Tiara in Brisbane during the winter carnival.
Shane Nichols is now in his ninth year of training from a well appointed ten hectare property at Mornington. He learned the fundamentals from his late father John, who trained successfully at Yarra Glen for many years. Early in life Shane worked in the family stockfeed and grain business, and trained a few horses on a hobby basis.
Shane’s life changed direction dramatically in 2009 when the Black Saturday bushfires altered the catchment profile of the Yarra Valley, and heavy rain thereafter would wash half the racecourse away. Shane had taken over his father’s training operation and decided to make a fresh start at Mornington.
“With the help of a few reliable horses we’ve been able to slowly build the business,” says the trainer. “I’ll be eternally grateful to Wordsmith (4 wins including a Group 3), Anyways (13 wins) and Caveat Emptor (9 wins). They got us up and running.”
The Nichols stable currently houses a team of 35 horses. Streets Of Avalon is obviously the star boarder, but Shane is hoping a couple of lightly raced three year olds will soon make a statement. “Brazen Song’s a nice filly who has a win and four placings to her credit,” he says. “Her last start second at Caulfield was very good. The other one is a gelding called Dance Ready who’s placed twice from only three runs and looks promising.”
Nichols is aware the All Stars Mile is shaping as a fiercely competitive race.
He’s conscious of the fact that Streets Of Avalon hasn’t won in four attempts at 1600m, and has tended to race a little too keenly over that distance. “I’ll be giving some thought to removing his blinkers on the day, but at this stage it’s only a thought,” said Shane. “I’m hoping Ben Melham will be available. He’s had two rides for two wins on the horse and really clicks with him.”
Image courtesy Racing Photos - Ben Melham has had two rides for two wins on Streets Of Avalon.
History may well see The All Stars Mile develop into a race for “dream chasers”. Last year the dream came true for Tasmanian owner Wayne Roser and trainer Adam Trinder when the $11,000 yearling purchase Mystic Journey won the inaugural All Stars. Jockey Anthony Darmanin is Victorian based, but rides most weekends in Tasmania.
Expect scenes of unbridled emotion should the Mornington gelding poke his old battle scarred head into the fray in the closing stages.
Because of its unorthodox qualifying conditions the All Stars Mile doesn’t carry Gr 1 status, but for $5 million dollars who cares?
(Banner image courtesy Racing Photos - Streets Of Avalon kept putting his head out at the finish of the Futurity Stakes.)