Double for Weld and Hayes as Shamalza hangs on Shamalza just clung on at the line to bag both division of the fillies maiden at Navan for Dermot Weld, Chris Hayes and the family of the late Aga Khan. The daughter of Lope De Vega went to post 11/8 favourite on her racecourse debut and swept through to lead a furlong-and-a-half from home in the mile contest. The field started to close late on though and Marmeladova finished best, just denied by a nose at the death. Shamalza is out of dual Group 2 winner Shamreen and is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Shartash. Weld said:- "She’s a lovely-bred filly, the family has been very lucky for me. We have trained Group winners of the family. "She has been a late-maturing filly, a late-developing filly. We had waited for what we had hoped would be nice ease in the ground but, to be fair to Navan, it was safe ground. It was fast ground, but perfectly safe ground and I was happy to let her take her chance. "She battled very well and very pleased with her. She got a little bit tired on her first run and I would anticipate plenty of improvement." (Quotes by Michael Graham)
