Sheva aiming for Monash Stakes upset at Caulfield

Lindsay Park trainers Ben, JD and Will Hayes think their $34 shot Sheva is worth a crack at the older sprinters in Saturday’s Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield.

Sheva will attempt to pull off an upset win in Saturday's Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Racing Photos

Lindsay Park trainers Ben, JD and Will Hayes are plotting a late-season ambush in Saturday’s Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield.

The trio will attempt to pinch the $200,000 event with developing three-year-old filly Sheva.

TAB rated Sheva as a $34 chance in its opening market on the weight-for-age feature but Will Hayes said the three-year-old had earned a crack at the weight-for-age feature.

The Written Tycoon filly has only had six starts but has scored twice and finished a narrow third in the Listed Crockett Stakes at The Valley on Cox Plate Day last year.

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Sheva finished ahead of Right To Party, who has returned in superb form this time in with two wins and a Group 3 third from her three outings in 2024.

Will Hayes said Sheva has taken some work to get to the Monash Stakes but showed she was on the right path in her first-up third at Caulfield last month.

“She’s always shown upside,” he said.

“She’d had little niggles and taken a bit of management but I thought her first-up run was super and she just peaked a bit late and was brought undone from a wide gate.”

Hayes said the camp was happy to have a crack at the older sprinters in the Sir John Monash Stakes in the weeks before Sheva turned four.

Sheva will face seven rivals in the event.

Consistent sprinter Recommendation is one of three runners for top trainer Ciaron Maher in Saturday’s Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Getty Images.

Hayes said the small field made the Monash Stakes an attractive late-season target.

“She hasn’t shown us anything to warrant not having a go,” he said.

“We’re going to go there confident and hope for the best.

“It’s only a matter of weeks until she turns four so the weight scales aren’t too different at this time of the year.

“There’s a small field and it looked not as strong an edition of the race so we’ll just see how we go.”

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Premier trainer Ciaron Maher has three runners engaged in the Caulfield contest.

Stakes winner Recommendation will resume for stable while hard-fit mares Senegalia and Mrs Chrissie will chase valuable black type status in the sprint.

Recommendation has firmed $3.30 to $3.20 to challenge the top pick, Oakleigh Plate placegetter Mornington Glory ($3.10) for early favouritism.

Mrs Chrissie’s price has tightened from $5 to $4.80 while Senegalia is a $61 chance after struggling down the straight at Flemington last time out.

Blake Shinn will ride Recommendation while Jye McNeil, who rode a double at Flemington last Saturday, will be aboard Sheva.

Originally published as Sheva aiming for Monash Stakes upset at Caulfield