All-time highest stakes earner, She’s A Pearl, will head to Sandown Park this Saturday to contest the G3 Shootout, as she embarks on the first interstate campaign of her career.
Co-trainer Andy Lord today confirmed She’s A Pearl had been nominated for the 4-dog Invitation only event, which offers $50,000 to the winner in prizemoney.
“We were going to head down to Sandown this Sunday to trial her in preparation for the Melbourne Cup and it just seems like it would have been a wasted opportunity not to put her in the Shootout instead,” said Lord of the Million Dollar Chase winner.
Entry conditions for the Sandown Shootout were altered this year – winners of the Topgun and the Million Dollar Chase are afforded automatic entry into the race with the Sandown Park club to select the remaining runner or runners.
Photo Man took out the Topgun at The Meadows last Saturday and is a near certainty to nominate, while McInerny, winner of the September version of the Million Dollar Chase, and who finished second behind Photo Man in the Topgun, is also expected to line up.
Lord said the superstar sprinter had pulled up perfectly since her history-making effort last Wednesday at her home track, and he is not daunted at making the trek south.
“She’s well and truly earnt the tag of a champion and it’s just been a case of having too many big races at home to even entertain the thought of travelling interstate, but I can assure you, we are very excited to show Victorian’s what she can do, and the four-dog field of the Shootout will suit her ideally.
“Providing she comes through Saturday’s race ok we’ll then head towards the heats of the Melbourne Cup on Saturday week with the Phoenix in December at The Meadows also part of our plan.”
Lord has fielded multiple enquiries from slot-holders of the Phoenix who want She’s A Pearl to represent them in Victoria’s richest race but said he and the owners would evaluate all offers in the coming weeks before making a decision.
The box-draw for the G3 Sandown Shootout will be released on Wednesday.
She's A Pearl Winning the Million Dollar Chase in May
