Left: Michael ‘Changa’ Shea with Right: Judy and Bec Shea after Saturday’s win.
Local horse racing family, Michael, Judy and Bec Shea, has been enjoying a string of successes with their horses of late, but the family’s involvement with horses extends beyond their recent luck. Both Judy and Michael were born and raised in the presence of horses, and have long loved and admired the animals. But they lost contact with the sport for many years.
In 2009, Bec and Michael met a bloodstock agent in Hong Kong, by the name of Cameron Cooke. Cooke brought the sport back into the family’s life, the trio have since taken shares in several succesful horses and they would soon invest in one of their most talented equines in Cooldini. That particular horse would go on to achieve 6 wins, 1 of which saw Cooldini beat the eventual Melbourne Cup victor, Prince of Penzance. Cooldini now enjoys a well-earned retirement in Jugiong.
The Sheas have also had considerable success with three other horses: Cantbuybetter has notched up 7 wins from 22 starts, while Reldas has also claimed 7 wins, from 30 starts. Grand Dreamer, has recorded 13 starts for the Sheas, and has taken 3 wins. The family plans to continue to be involved in the sport for the foreseeable future, and shows no signs of tiring of their love of the animal and the sport.
“We mightn’t ever get another run like this,” Michael said of their recent string of wins.
Cantbuybetter won the Singapore Turf Club Member’s Handicap on Saturday at Doomben, picking up $64,000 for connections. Grand Dreamer went around over 2000 metres at Caulfield on Saturday and was just 3.5 lengths from the winner, coming in 7th.
