Coolmore's one-season shuttler Sioux Nation sired his first group 1 winner worldwide and it came 10,000 miles from his Ireland home, at Eagle Farm in Brisbane, Australia, and it started at 100-1.
She may even have been named for a mispronunciation of her sire, adding to the ignominy, but Socks Nation's Queensland Oaks (G1) success June 8 will still be cheered, if not by punters, then by all involved with father and daughter.
Giving winning trainer Ciaron Maher his 45th group 1 success and jockey Ryan Maloney his fourth, Socks Nation became one of the longest-priced group 1 winners in recent Australian history when scoring by a neck.
Officially a $101 chance, Socks Nation paid $126 on TAB fixed odds and—in a first four dividend nearing six figures—she beat Our Gold Hope, with Miss Joelene third and Kind Words fourth.
The Oaks was a blowout for fancied runners, with Mare Of Mt Buller fifth, Molly Bloom eighth, and favorite Scarlet Oak essentially pulled up in last place.
Given the odds, the win was remarkably straightforward, but still full of courage. Jumping from gate 9 of 18, Socks Nation trailed leader Oceans Of Energy—one of only two fillies at longer odds than she was—and powered to the front at the 300-meter marker.
She then had to withstand the challenge of Robert and Luke Price's Our Gold Hope, who headed her around the 100-meter mark before the winner dug deep to restore a margin.
Bred by South Australia's Ian Millard, Socks Nation counts as a rare diamond. She was hatched from a small crop of 39 live foals born of Sioux Nation's sole season shuttling to Australia, where he stood at Victoria's Swettenham Stud for AU$17,600.
The 9-year-old stallion, now solely at Coolmore Ireland, has 128 winners from 223 runners worldwide, with 13 stakes winners. Until Saturday, his 14 Australian winners from 20 runners had included just one black-type victor.
Bought by Suman Hedge Bloodstock for AU$160,000 from Milburn Creek's draft at the Inglis Premier yearling sale of 2022, and raced by Hedge along with Sheriff Iskander, the filly's odds starkly contrasted the regard held for her in the first half of this, her first season of racing.
"It's phenomenal, the team has done a super job. She's been in work 13 months, this filly, and she just keeps on running really well," said Maher.
"She goes to a lot of locations, she's been to the beach and sometimes a change is as good as a holiday. She's a tough filly. She worked well in the week so we didn't have to do much with her."
Whether the forward role was anticipated or not, Maloney conceded he was surprised he was able to ride his race.
"The race couldn't have panned out any better for me. I was surprised nobody came to put any pressure on us," Maloney said.
Hedge said he was delighted with the breakthrough group 1 victory under his own banner.
"It's very special for me because Sheriff is the owner and he's supported me and backed me from the very start and gave me my first opportunity and I wouldn't be in the industry if it wasn't for him,'' Hedge said.
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