Owner : TD9 Racing
Pedigree
AllegedShantou
Shaima
Unnamed
2015 bay filly
Definite Article
Definite Deploy
Strategic Deploy
The family
'Hope' is the first foal of the Definite Article mare Definite
Deploy, who in addition to winning a 25 runner bumper at Punchestown
(useful form) was placed another 3 times from just 6 runs in
bumpers.
Grand-dam Strategic Deploy was also a winner on the level,
prevailing 3 times for the Ramsdens in the mid 90s before winning
over timber in Ireland. In fact, she was a fair hurdler and gained a bit of
valuable black type when third in a Grade 3 hurdle at Leopardstown
as a 4yr old.
As a broodmare, she has bred 3 winners. In addition to Definite
Deploy, she has produced dual winning chaser Vino Vino Cavo and
winning hurdler Go On My Beauty.
Third dam Wryneck has bred 6 winners - mainly on the flat - the best of whom was Wrybill, a winner of 5 races in Britain & Hong Kong and was runner up in the Listed Hong Kong Gold Cup at Shatin.
Definite Deploy also has a filly by Mahler (b 2016) and a 2017 colt by Yeats.
About the sire
Shantou (bay horse b 1993) was a high-class racehorse, trained by John Gosden winning 6 races. His best performances came when victorious in the St Leger of 1996 and Newmarket's Prince of Wales Stakes the following year.
Retired to stud in 1999,
Shantou spent the first couple of years on the continent
until moving to Burgage Stud in Ireland in 2004 where he has remained
ever since.
Even though Shantou is not a big horse, he is well-made and full of quality with great walk and usually breeds this on to his progeny.
He showed early potential at stud by siring a filly as good as Sweet Stream (Group 1 Prix Vermeille 2004),
and has proven to be a top class NH Stallion.
He consistently sires tough horses, ideal for the winter game with
such Grade 1 winners as Airlie Beach, Death Duty and The Storyteller
to his credit.
Upon the retirement of that gallant servant Hartforth - winner of 6
hurdles - in January 2018, syndicate member Ian Aitken hatched a plan with his
son Greg and cousin (Wee) Davie Brown to accompany The Trainer and
his regular group of stable associates to the 2018 Tattersalls Ireland
August NH Sales.
This was a sale that was extended to 3 days this year, which meant a
catalogue of around 800 horses to ponder over with the aim of
acquiring a horse, probably a 3 year old filly, that would provide a
source of enjoyment from nurturing through initial education, spells
out of training, summer grass, steady cantering and then onto the
racecourse.
This approach has very much been the ethos of Dodlands Steading over
the past 5 or 6 years, so Donald and Callum were delighted to be on
hand to offer advice as and when requested.
And so it was, about halfway through Day 1 of the sale that fellow
Dodlands owner John Mackin drew the group's attention to a 3 year
old filly by Shantou. John may be a relative newcomer to racing, but
has a mind for detail and he was impressed by the conformation and
attitude of a son of Shantou that he watched a few months earlier at Kelso in February
'18 - the smart chaser Shantou Flyer.
The remainder of the Dodlands entourage were summoned from all areas
of the sales complex, and opinions considered. Ian and Greg were
delighted when their
bid for 'Hope'
(for it was she) was successful, and transport was duly arranged to
ship this well-made, not overbig filly
across the Irish Sea to Hawick.
'Hope' was one of the first of that year's purchases to be packaged off down to Gary Rutherford to complete her education and in mid October '18 she arrived back at the yard to join in with her new stable companions in morning exercise. 'Hope' is a real racy individual and we though she seemed quite far forward but in the end we decided to give her more time to mature.
She's now back in the yard (August '19) after a fine spell at grass and will soon be in full training. A racecourse debut perhaps perhaps before the turn of the year, or if not shortly afterwards.
| Season | win | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | other | |
| 2019-20 | NH Flat | |||||
