Right: Excited connections of Cranbourne Maiden race winner Explicit Vixen – (back) Stephen Jeffreys, (front) Karina Hiern and owner Katie Shannon after the triumph on Sunday. ONE of the loudest yelps of excitement at Sunday’s Cranbourne race meeting came from owner Katie Shannon as her three-year-old filly Explicit Vixen crossed the finish line to win the 1000-metre Maiden Plate early in the afternoon.– Brad Kingsbury
It was Katie’s first win as an owner and the fact that her father Michael bred the horse at their 14-hectare (30-acre) Berwick property Beaumont Ridge, made the victory even more special.
Unfortunately Michael was not at the track to share his daughter’s joy, but listened to the race on the telephone from New Zealand where he was holidaying.
“It’s so exciting, I can’t stop crying,” said Katie.
“It’s my first winner ever. I had another horse, Palace Glory with (trainer) John Maloney a few years ago, but he didn’t win a race.
“This is so good.”
The Shannons have been breeding and selling thoroughbreds for four to five years at the property, but decided to keep the leggy General Nediym filly.
Katie said that the Shannons had nursed it after some minor health setbacks early in its life and then gave it to leading trainer Mick Price at Caulfield.
Leading jockey Danny Nikolic rode the galloper that won the race by almost a length and was heavily supported to start as a $1.90 race favourite.
