Shall Be has shown a tremendous amount of early speed to lead from a wide gate and then race clear to break through for his first win at Newcastle on Wednesday.

The son of the former Al Shaqab and now Woodside Park stallion Shalaa (IRE) had shown above average ability at the trials prior to his debut and leading into his first run, the team at Minervini Racing were confident that he would be hard to beat. Hard to beat he was, and it took a city-trained filly who was in receipt of huge wraps to fly down the outside and blouse Shall Be in the shadows of the post.

That experience set Shall Be in good stead for start number two and under Ashley Morgan, the pair found the front and were never headed.

Shall Be was an $8,000 purchase by Mark Minervini from the Willow Park Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale and the win takes his stake earnings to $34,175.

Shall Be will have his next start in the $200, 000 Inglis Challenge over 1100 metres at Scone on Scone Cup day Friday May 17.

Congratulations to his owners Grant Boyes, Kevin Dagg, William & Kristina Goldthorp OAM, Mike Lum, Minervini Racing, Colin Wightman and Dailey Racing Syndicate.

Photo: Bradley Photos