Racing: Star mare bounces back at right time

Why did we doubt her? Why did we lose faith?

Shez Sinsational roared back to her best in Hastings on Saturday and brilliantly won the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Spring Classic - her fourth Group 1 victory.

Yes, Shez Sinsational's form leading into the race had been indifferent. But while the vast majority of the field could be described as very good or hugely promising, there was only one runner who could lay claim to being called great - Shez Sinsational. On Saturday she showed exactly why.

Last year Shez Sinsational produced a series of disappointing efforts as she built towards the Group 1 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie. But then, on the day that mattered, she was awesome and blew a great field off the track.

Just under 12 months later, it was the same story. Shez Sinsational showed little of the ability we all know she has in her first three starts this season - an uninspiring 12th of 14 in the 1200m Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa, an unremarkable seventh of 11 in the JRA Trophy over 1400m at Ellerslie, and a disappointing 11th of 13 in the Windsor Park Plate here over 1600m. But, on Saturday, over the middle distance she loves so much, it was a very different story.

Queensland Oaks winner Quintessential looked to have the field in trouble as she charged to the lead along the inside rail and opened up a break. But then the class horses started to make their presence felt down the outside of the track.

He's Remarkable and Guiseppina, both renowned for their devastating sprints over lesser distances, showed they're just as effective over 2000m. They surged to the lead and looked set to fight out the finish. But Shez Sinsational, having to outfinish those outstanding horses, showed every bit of the greatness that took her to three Group 1 victories last summer. With an irresistible, sustained finish down the outside of the Hastings home straight, she overpowered Guiseppina and He's Remarkable and emphatically disproved any thoughts that she might not be as good this season as she was in 2011-12.

Shez Sinsational has now won 10 of her 27 starts, and her earnings stand at a whopping $1.266million. And her performance on Saturday proved what a force she is in weight-for-age races over a middle distance in New Zealand. Though a mouth-watering match-up with Silent Achiever now may loom, the connections of horses Shez Sinsational beat on Saturday could be forgiven for some trepidation about taking her on again under similar conditions.

Having said that, plenty of other runners in this race came out of it with plenty of merit. Both Guiseppina and He's Remarkable came into this race with some doubt over their ability to show their considerable talent and turn of foot over distances beyond a mile. Both showed on Saturday that they undeniably can.

Favourite Xanadu didn't have all favours in the running and took some time to find a clear path in the home straight. She hit the line well once she was in the clear, but didn't quite show the same powerful sprint she produced in the Makfi Challenge Stakes and Windsor Park Plate. But she finished a close fourth and came out of the race with plenty of credit.

Dolmabache, the beautifully bred mare who stylishly won the Travis Stakes in the autumn, started the race at the extraordinary odds of 70-1. She performed well above those expectations in finishing fifth, just two lengths from the winner, and she looks to have an exciting summer ahead.