Fastnet Filly Impresses

Fastnet Rock has had a flurry of promising late season two year-old winners and added another to the list at Caulfield on Wednesday when highly rated filly Demasheen (2f Fasnet Rock x Shimo Star, by Centaine) opened her winning account at her first run back from a break. The Robert Smerdon trained filly created headlines last year when she topped the 2011 NZB Ready to Run Sale after being purchased for $450,000 by Bahen Bloodstock on behalf of Mosheen’s owner Phil Sly. She had two runs in January finishing an unlucky second at Moonee Valley and then fifth to Malasun in the Listed MRC Blue Diamond Preview, but has obviously derived much benefit from the break. Ridden quietly in the early stages by Danny Nikolic, Demasheen was allowed to settle back in the field and was the widest runner turning for home. She let down with an impressive turn of foot, surging into contention before charging straight past the runner up Lamingtons to win the 1000 metre juvenile event by more than a length. "She’s a nice filly and I think she can improve from here so she will go on to bigger and better things,” Robert Smerdon said. "It was a good effort today in the circumstances. "We rode her off the speed today, hoping that was the right way to go about her. The way she finished off suggests that might be her effective style.” Demasheen is the third winner from three foals to race from stakes-placed Centaine mare Shimo Star and was consigned to the 2010 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale by Fairhill Farm where she was snapped up by Michael Wallace Bloodstock for $140,000 and sent to New Zealand. Re-offered by Esker Lodge at the 2011 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, Demasheen passed in shy of her $200,000 reserve, but when broken in and presented at the Ready to Run, she was a hot commodity and the talent she showed in those initial gallops has obviously blossomed. Demasheen is the 12th Australian two year-old winner this season for Fastnet Rock, who has taken all before him in the past 12 months.