Promising stayer Shangri La Springs enters Queensland Derby picture with all-the-way win in Frank Packer Plate at Randwick

Shangri La Spring caused a boilover with a perfectly judged frontrunning ride by Tim Clark in the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate at Randwick.

Shangri La Spring and Tim Clark take out the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate at Randwick. Picture: Getty Images

Shangri La Spring put himself into the Queensland Derby conversation when he upset hot favourite Swiftfalcon at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Tim Clark produced a tactically perfect front-running ride on Shangri La Spring to win the Group 3 $250,000 Frank Packer Plate (2000m).

Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott can now plan with certainty their interstate carnival campaign for Shangri La Spring after he passed his stamina test.

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“We were going to set him for the (ATC Australian) Derby here but it all came around a bit too soon for him,” Bott said.

“So, we thought the Carbine Club Stakes and Frank Packer Plate was a better program and then we could aim up at the Derby in Queensland if he could tick those boxes.

“Even though last start it may have looked like he was vulnerable over the mile, I thought there was genuine excuses for that and we always had this type of preparation for him in mind.

“Tim was able to ride a lovely, measured race today which is the style of race he wanted to ride off the back of his last run.

“Once he found the front he was able to get into a lovely rhythm and rated him beautifully. The way he was travelling to the 600m mark, I thought if he was able to quicken up like we thought he would, he was always going to be hard to beat.”

Shangri La Spring ($16) held off the late surge of Firm Agreement ($4.40) to win by three-quarters of a length with Plymouth ($7.50) 1½ lengths away third.

Swiftfalcon was an easing but still dominant $2.20 favourite and after trailing Shangri La Spring for most of the race he struggled from the 200m and faded to run a disappointing fourth.

🌸 Shangri La Spring bounces back with a win in the G3 Frank Packer Plate! @clarkyhk | @GaiWaterhouse1 | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/etFSSjEIps

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 19, 2025

Tyler Schiller, rider of Swiftfalcon, felt his mount had every chance and failed to stay.

“He has probably come to the end of his preparation,” Schiller said.

“But he’s definitely not a 2000m horse, might be a mile/1800m horse.”

Clark said he learned the lessons from Shangri La Spring’s tiring fourth in the Carbine Club Stakes and rated the colt superbly in front.

“It was probably a little bit my fault the other day. He probably wasn’t quite ready to be ridden like he was, second-up at a mile,” Clark said.

“But that has probably held him in good stead for today having a really good toughen up run under his belt.

“On the back of Gai and Adrian’s advice to hold him up a bit more today, and getting out to 2000m to trust his turn-of-foot, we were able to do that and he got a nice time of it.

“They probably expected me to go a little bit quicker with the way I rode him last week but getting to 2000, we probably didn’t need to run them into the ground. He gave a great kick and probably peaked with 75m to go.”

Shangri La Spring is headed to Queensland after his Frank Packer Plate win, get the latest from Adrian Bott and @clarkyhk!@GaiWaterhouse1 | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/3pt5pMEUst

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 19, 2025

Shangri La Spring continues the run of success of Arrowfield Stud’s boom young stallion Castelvecchio, also the sire of ATC Australian Derby winner Aeliana. Arrowfield Stud supremo John Messara is a part-owner of the talented three-year-old.

Meanwhile, Bott revealed that the stable’s Group 1 Canterbury Stakes winner and Doncaster Mile runner-up Royal Patronage arrived safely in Hong Kong on Friday night.

Royal Patronage will be Bott’s first overseas starter since he formed a training partnership with Waterhouse in 2016.

When Waterhouse trained on her own between 1992 and 2016, she had runners in England, France, United States, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand without success. The Hall of Fame trainer is obviously hopeful Royal Patronage can provide her with a breakthrough big-race success on racing’s international stage.

“Royal Patronage seemed to travel well to Hong Kong, he will have an easy day today and then he might go on the track Sunday,” Bott said.

“Hopefully he has a smooth week because he has gone up there fit and well. Tim has the ride because he has had Hong Kong experience and he knows this horse.”

Royal Patronage will take on take on another Australian-trained galloper, Mr Brightside along with some of the world’s best milers in the Champions Mile at Sha Tin next Sunday.

Originally published as Promising stayer Shangri La Springs enters Queensland Derby picture with all-the-way win in Frank Packer Plate at Randwick