David Thiselton

History repeated itself when the Mark Dixon-trained Shell Seeker won on debut over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday in impressive style.

The Master Of My Fate filly was backed in from 25/4 to 10/3 second favourite in the Maiden Plate for fillies and mares.

Some of her supporters might have groaned when she lost a length or two at the start. However, this allowed jockey Keagan de Melo to choose a position where she could run on her own with daylight in front of her. He thus took her towards the inside. It is invariably best to have cover in any race, but when the connections are ultra confident with a potentially green first-timer, allowing her ample room is a sound strategy. So that move might have given an indication of just how confident they were. She was soon contesting the lead. The fancied Leopard Lady moved up threateningly at the 400m mark and hanging inward she came together with Shell Seeker, who had hung outward, at the 250m mark. However, Shell Seeker, despite having to make up the lost ground at the start, proved to still be cruising. She galloped clear effortlessly to win easing up by 4,30 lengths.

Dixon found the good looking filly at the BSA National Two-year-old Sale last year.

Breeder James Armitage of Sandown Stud liked her going into the sale and said, “It’s a commercial world we live in so although she had a very nice pedigree further down the page (she is related to the like of Hernando, the joint highest rated older horse in Europe in 1994), owners and breeders want to see a lot of black type close up.”

He elaborated by saying sales patrons would not have taken heed of any excuses, even the valid one which pertained to Shell Seeker’s now retired dam Witsand, who had a lot of bad luck in her career. For example her previous foal Tiger In The Sun (Where’s That Tiger) had finished third in two Listed races and was showing a lot of promise before “doing a tendon”.

Armitage concluded, “Shell Seeker looks to be a very exciting prospect and I would love to have still had her dam on the farm!”

Dixon’s first impressions of Shell Seeker were positive and he said, “She was beautifully good looking and was very well balanced. She had a beautiful head with a massive eye and was by a proven stallion.”

She went through the ring late in the sale as lot 389 out of 394. Dixon had tried to buy a few before her without success and upon leaving for the airport left instructions with former trainer and now BSA staff member Alistair Gordon to bid for Shell Seeker on his behalf.

Dixon was at the airport when he received a phonecall from Gordon informing him he had secured the filly for R130,000.

This was a little bit of deja vu.

In 2012 one of Dixon’s most loyal clients Clint Larsson had earmarked a Kahal colt in the catalogue of the National Yearling Sales. However, Dixon, with a limited amount left in his budget, felt he had zero chance of securing him. After all, he was a half-brother to Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas-winner Indiscreet Fantasy and to Listed-winner Silver Fantasy. So he left for the airport but upon landing in Durban he received a phonecall from Larsson, who was in London at the time. The latter had noticed on the internet the colt had gone through the ring unsold. Dixon immediately phoned vendor Bruce le Roux and made an offer. He managed to secure him for R120,000. The connections were everlastingly  grateful to Le Roux for standing by his word as another offer was apparently made five minutes later.

The connections fittingly decided to name the colt London Call and he not only won on debut by 5,50 lengths at odds of 33/1 but went on to win eleven races in total, including the Non-Black Type Marula Sprint twice, and he also finished second in the KZN Breeders Million Mile and fourth in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint.

Dixon said Shell Seeker’s “magnificent, big action” was evident from day one. He took his time with her as Master Of My Fate’s can have slightly hot tempers and she was telling him she was not yet ready. He said she was lightly framed so still had plenty of filling out to do. She thus has plenty of scope for improvement and he believed she would stay further too.

Dixon is particularly pleased she has such “great owners”, who include Larsson as well as another of his most loyal patrons, Bruce Lin, and also Mike Liontarides.

Time will tell whether she has classic potential but the connections have plenty to look forward to with this promising filly.

Dixon might think about stationing himself at the airport for future sales.