Of the ninety seven horses to contest ten races at Rosehill Gardens, few if any had more presence than Shohisha who looked the winner a long way from home in the 1200m Midway. The Sky camera captured a tight shot of the three year old filly as she went onto the track, and another when she returned to scale after her emphatic win. She was in fact the only three year old in the race. A beautifully conformed filly with a standout head, Shohisha clearly has a temperament to match her good looks. An open bridle and standard ring bit is the only gear required, and the daughter of Supido does the job with natural race sense.
It looked for all the world as though she could have led on Saturday, so well did she begin, but Kerrin McvEvoy immediately looked for pacemakers. By the time they reached the first turn Shohisha had come back underneath her jockey and was completely relaxed behind joint leaders Sumo Star and Rush Hour with Herb on her inside and Lady Extreme trapped three wide. McEvoy bided his time in coming to the outside of the leaders on straightening and didn’t make his move until the 300m mark. From the moment he switched across heels, Shohisha was all business. She quickened nicely to dash past Sumo Star and Rush Hour and easily fended off a brave late rally from Lady Extreme. It was only the filly’s fourth race start but her manners were such it could have been the twenty fourth.
As a thoroughbred type they don't come any better! Shohisha and Kerrin McEvoy at the post in the Midway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
“Shohisha hasn’t given a moment’s trouble since she first arrived in the stable,” said trainer David Payne. “She’s just a laid back filly with the sweetest temperament. I’ve got to say she was a little too laid back early days, but switched on from the occasion of her very first jump out. She won two Rosehill barrier trials, and went straight to a Super three year old maiden at Warwick Farm in August.”
Shohisha began only fairly in the Super maiden and was spotting the leaders some six lengths on the corner before ducking back to the fence. It took a while for the penny to drop, but she started to motor when Chad Schofield found a gap between horses at the 100m. She just scrambled home but seemed to be getting interested right on the line. David decided on one more run for the preparation and opted for the Gr 2 Furious Stakes at Randwick on September 7th, a huge class rise but an opportunity to test the potential of Shohisha before she went to the spelling paddock. Starting at cricket score odds the filly went back to last from the outside gate and was spotting the leaders ten lengths on straightening. She beat only one rival home but held her ground down the running to finish just over four lengths from the winner Manaal. David had seen enough and was well satisfied. The paddock beckoned.
Shohisha had little idea of racecraft when she won her first race at Warwick Farm last August - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Four months went by before Shohisha would make her return in the listed Gosford Guineas run at Wyong on New Year’s Eve. A little easy in the market at $5.50, the filly travelled in third spot behind odds-on favourite Midnight Dynamite and her stablemate Dance To The Boom to the hometurn. As Midnight Dynamite dropped off, Shohisha knuckled down to her task and gave chase to Dance To The Boom, failing by three quarters of a length to reach the talented Bjorn Baker trained filly.
Shohisha is in the Payne stable on the recommendation of respected horse breaker Paul Blattman who runs the Whispering Pines Spelling, Breaking and Pre-Training operation at Oakdale near Camden. Blattman who broke Shohisha in, was consulted by the filly’s owners when the time came to place her with a trainer. Fully aware of Payne’s wide experience and his stellar success in South Africa and Australia, Blattman happily put his name forward. The subsequent association has been a happy one for all parties. Payne was delighted recently when advised that Shohisha’s two year old full sister will also join his team shortly.
David Payne with part owner Wayne Boyde and Kerrin McEvoy after Saturday's win - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Homebred Shohisha has an interesting pedigree. She’s by Supido, a very fleet footed son of Sebring who won seven Victorian races including the Gr 3 Monash Stakes at Caulfield for trainer Mick Kent. Her dam Consommateur (Roc De Cambes) was also trained by Mick Kent to register three wins and three placings from thirteen starts for respectable prize money of $154,000. Mick saw fit to bring her to Sydney in the autumn of 2017 for the Gr 3 Epona Stakes at Rosehill. With Dwayne Dunn in the saddle she showed no real dash in the 1900m race, but got going from the 600m and was strong on the line to win by almost three lengths. Shohisha’s granddam is the Zabeel mare Consumer whose only win in eight runs was a Bendigo maiden for trainer Jim Conlan in 2005. Despite a very mediocre racing record this mare has the distinction of inspiring the name “Shohisha”, the Japanese word for “consumer”.
David has been hoping another talented filly would one day fill the huge void left by the departure of his wonderful mare Montefilia almost two years ago. He won four Gr 1 races with the giant mare before she was consigned to the Inglis Chairman’s Broodmare Sale in October 2023. Montefilia was at the centre of huge international attention before being knocked down to Yulong Investments for a whopping $3.4 million dollars. David obviously put his hand up in the event of Yulong deciding to give her one final preparation, but wasn’t surprised when she went to Chris Waller. Montefilia won only one from six before being retired but it was the right one. She passed on to her new owners, the benefit of the Hill Stakes prize money hike to $2 million dollars.
David Payne's fourth Gr. 1 win with Montefilia (Jason Collett) - the 2022 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill - courtesy Bradley Photographer.
Only the most recklessly optimistic could dream that Shohisha would remotely approach the deeds of the Kermadec mare, but David Payne won’t leave a stone unturned in trying to find out. He’s got a young filly on the rise with stunning looks and a thoroughly professional attitude. He’s planning only one or two more runs this preparation before sending her for a mid-year spell. He envisages a much stronger mare in the spring. It’s early days yet, but the South African whiz has had plenty of practice at identifying future stakes prospects. He gets a twinkle in the eye every time he talks about the good natured filly with the Japanese name.
(Banner image - Shohisha looked to be out for an afternoon stroll as she coasted home in the Midway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)