In a titanic struggle, the local hope Dom To Shoot edged Zaaki (GB) and Zipaway in a thrilling $1,500,000 Group 1 Drummond Golf - Northerly Stakes (1800m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Ridden by Jarrad Noske for Sean and Jake Casey, the 6-year-old son of Shooting To win defeated Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) by a short-half-head with the 3-year-old Playing God gelding Zipaway back in third.
It was a first Group 1 for horse, trainers and jockey and it was third time lucky for Dom To Shoot who finished ninth behind Amelia’s Jewel last year and third to Truly Great in 2020 when known as the Kingston Town Classic.
Stakes-placed four times since winning the Group III Northam Stakes on April 30, Dom To Shoot advances his record to eight wins, eight seconds, and eight thirds from 49 starts with earnings of $1,925,865.
“I can’t believe it. What a wonderful horse he has been to us,” Jake Casey said.
“The race worked out perfectly. He got a brilliant run through, but you can never be too confident when chasing down a horse like Zaaki.
Owned and bred by Wally Daly, Dom To Shoot was coming off a third behind the 3-year-olds Bustler and Alsephina in the Group 1 Railway Stakes, but had them well astern on Saturday.
It was an emotional win for Jarrad Noske, who had previously hung his hat on being the rider of the undefeated Black Caviar in her first two starts.
Noske was unsure if he had won.
“To beat J-Mac (James McDonald) in a photo - surely not,” Noske said.
“I had a dream run. I’m pinching myself a bit; I thought it would never happen."
Dom To Shoot is the best of two winners from three to race for the Pins mare Princess Rouge, a $135,000 purchase from the Waikato Stud draft at the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
A sister to stakes=-winner Pin Rouge, Princess Rouge had her first foal in three years when she had a Playing God colt in September.
Dom To Shoot is the second Group 1 winner for Shooting To Win. It is very timely as the Caulfield Guineas winning son of Northern Meteor now stands at Oakland Park Stud for $11,000.
