Here To Shock’s uphill battle in Supernova defence

[Wandering Eyes]

Here To Shock is trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes – who provide the only three runners backing up from the inaugural edition of the $1 million slot race. They will also saddle up last year’s runner-up Arkansaw Kid and 2024 fifth placegetter Roll On High, who is also owned by Slade Bloodstock and was previously trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.

The presence of Private Eye casts a huge shadow over the event and he is $2.25 favourite with Sportsbet.

Slade quipped the best chance of Private Eye’s rivals beating him would involve his float breaking down.

Here To Shock hadn’t been over-taxed in terms of starts and that had led to him racing at his peak later in life.

From the moment Here To Shock began racing he showed talent, but he was his own worst enemy according to Slade, as he didn’t want to settle in his race.

After he started his career with Brent Stanley, he was transferred to Lindsay Park and Slade said it was Ben Hayes’ intuition which helped turn his career around.

“He was also maturing but Ben suggested earmuffs and that played a big role in settling him down,” Slade said.

Slade pointed out that Here To Shock netted $2 million prizemoney as a seven-year-old gelding last season.

Here To Shock became his syndication group’s third Group 1 winner when he was successful in the Waikato Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in February this year.

“In ability, he’s behind the other pair of Group 1 winners Alinghi and Moment Of Change, but he’s a bit unique; they didn’t win $2 million in a season,” he said. “The key to him is that he’s a fairly lightly raced for an eight-year-old having only had 42 starts whereas most horses that age have had a lot more. We’ve never really had any dramas with him.”

Here To Shock started his 2025 spring campaign with a first-up third to Private Eye in the G2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield but he had three unplaced runs before he led throughout to win the Testa Rossa Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield at his latest start.

Here To Shock also competed against Private Eye in the Moonga Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield two starts ago, finishing sixth behind him.

Slade said Here To Shock’s form is better than it looks as ratings-wise he is running up to his best, but he is carrying more weight.

“If you look at his times and ratings he ran up to his usual mark, but he was in races he couldn’t win with the weight he was carrying,” he said. “He was in form but he also didn’t look good in the coat; he was one of those horses which didn’t come up in the spring. I looked at him at Lindsay Park the other day and his coat is magnificent and I think he’s coming into his own.”

Slade pointed out that Here To Shock will again have to carry a kilogram more weight than Private Eye, making his task harder.

“Private Eye had a year in the wilderness and we had a great year so we’re paying the price for that,” he said. “How are we going to beat him? I’m not sure. He might get caught in traffic.

“Last time against him we didn’t lead, which even his jockey Mick Dee said was the wrong thing to do. The other day Mark (Zahra) summed the race up the other day and used the catch-me-if-you-can tactics.

Here To Shock can take a sit these days, but he is also capable of setting a fast rolling tempo, which could be the case with Daniel Stackhouse riding him on Saturday.

Stackhouse rode Here To Shock in last year’s The Supernova, when he sat second behind the front-runner Buffalo River in the run and then defied the challenge of his stablemate Arkansaw Kid in the closing stages of the race.

Here To Shock will follow the same path to New Zealand for the Waikato Sprint (1400m), which will be run at Te Rapa on February 7.

Here To Shock has Cavallo Park Stud’s slot in The Supernova, while Roll On High has Yulong’s.

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