Promising stayer Shared Secrets bounced back to winning form at Wanganui on the weekend with an eye-catching display that could result in her contesting some of the better distance features coming up over the summer months.
Successful in the New Zealand St Leger Trial (2100m) at Otaki as a three-year-old, Shared Secrets has always hinted she could be a potential Cups horse when fully matured.
“She’s a handy sort of mare that’s just taken a while to come to it,” Oulaghan said after the victory.
“She was well ridden and I think that counts a bit for it (the win).”Oulaghan, who bred the Nadeem mare and also shares in her ownership, has adopted a patient approach with his charge who was registering her third career victory at just her 18th start.
With three races under her belt in her current campaign, Oulaghan is now ready to step Shared Secrets up to a bigger challenge at her next run.“We’ll look at something a bit better at her next start,” he said.
“That will be a staying race somewhere.”Shared Secrets currently holds a nomination for two feature events at Ellerslie, the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Final (2200m) on January 1 and the Gr.1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) on March 9.
Oulaghan may also look closer to home with races like the Gr.3 Hotel Coachman Manawatu Cup (2100m) at Awapuni on December 22 and Listed Gallagher Marton Cup (2100m), at the same venue on January 5, two possible options.A win in the Marton Cup would continue a strong family association with the race after Shared Secrets’ grand-dam, Semper Fidelis, took out the 2002 edition of the race amongst her ten career victories.
