Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk3 August 2026
Rewards from a relatively modest outlay for a Shinko King weanling more than a decade ago continue to flow for prominent breeder and owner Daniel Nakhle.
In 2005, he outlaid $8,500 to secure Irish Colleen, who won on seven occasions including success in the Gr.2 Concorde Handicap (1200m), with her granddaughter Shalabiya the latest success story for the family.
Trained by Danny Walker and Aaron Tata, the Brazen Beau filly romped to an impressive debut victory at Ruakaka on Saturday to put her in line for a crack at stakes company.
โWe bought Irish Colleen at the Fayette Park dispersal sale, and sheโs been a wonderful broodmare and racehorse,โ Nakhle said.
She has produced the multiple Group Three winner Crosshaven, who was sold to Lindsay Park at Karaka for $80,000 with Nakhle remaining in the ownership group, and likewise Killarney.
He was a $115,000 graduate and was a multiple winner for Roger James and Robert Wellwood before claiming the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Stakes (1600m) from John and Karen Parsonsโ stable.
Shalabiya is out of Irish Colleenโs daughter Gracehill, who is by OโReilly, and was successful twice from a handful of starts for James.
She is also the dam of stablemate Crocetti, Nakhleโs Gr.1 Railway (1200m) and Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner.
A Proisir filly out of Gracehill failed to meet her $400,000 reserve at Karaka earlier this year and will also be raced by Nakhle.
โI was always a bit 50-50 about selling her and she has broken in well and sheโll be going to Roger and Robert,โ he said.
โSheโs sitting in our paddock at the moment and weโll give her a bit of time being a November foal.โ
Both Gracehill and Irish Colleen are in foal to Super Seth with future breeding plans for the pair yet to be decided.
โWith Gracehill, a bit of that will be based on Shalabiya in the next couple of weeks, we are looking at Proisir certainly but havenโt made a firm decision at this point,โ Nakhle said.
He was referring to how Shalabiya fares in her next start in a return trip to Ruakaka for the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breedersโ Stakes (1200m).
โThatโs the plan all going well, she pulled up well after her first run and fingers crossed thatโs where sheโll head,โ Nakhle said.
โIrish Colleen had a Proisir colt last year and heโll go to the NZB Sale in January, weโll see how she foals this time.
โSheโs in absolutely magnificent order, but she does put a lot into her foals and she may be deserving of a year off. Sheโs been a very kind mare and the last thing we want to do it push her too far.โ
