Shocking (horse)

Australian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Shocking

Sire| Street Cry (IRE)
Grandsire| Machiavellian (USA)
Dam| Maria Di Castiglia (GB)
Damsire| Danehill (USA)
Sex| Stallion
Foaled| (2005-09-23)23 September 2005
Country| Australia
Colour| Bay
Breeder| George & Felicity Fraser, Ilala Stud
Owner| Laurence Eales
Trainer| Mark Kavanagh
Record| 27: 7–6–2[1]
Earnings| $4,981,275[1][2]
Major wins
Melbourne Cup (2009)
Lexus Stakes (2009)
Makybe Diva Stakes (2010)
Australian Cup (2011)
Awards
Australian Champion Stayer (2009/2010)[3]
Last updated on 7 June 2011

Shocking (foaled 23 September 2005) is an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse, trained by Mark Kavanagh, who won the 149th Melbourne Cup on 3 November 2009 by three-quarters of a length.[4][1]

## Pedigree

[edit]

Shocking is by the outstanding sire, Street Cry (Ireland) out of Maria Di Castaglia by Danehill (USA). George Fraser purchased Maria di Castiglia (GB) while she was carrying Shocking in utero at a William Inglis bloodstock sale for $20,000. Fraser later sold the resulting foal, Shocking, at the 2007 Magic Millions Yearling Sale for $45,000 to a local horse broker. After being broken in, he was sold on to Laurence Eales for $64,000 in late 2007.[5] Laurence Eales also owns the 2009 Caulfield Stakes winner Whobegotyou, also by Street Cry.[6]

## Racing record

[edit]

At the time of winning the Melbourne Cup he was four years old and had qualified after winning the Lexus Stakes over 2,500 metres at Flemington on 31 October 2009. The Melbourne Cup was Shocking's 15th start. He defeated Crime Scene (ridden by Kerrin McEvoy) and Mourilyan (ridden by Glyn Schofield) who placed second and third respectively.[7] It was the first Melbourne Cup win for jockey Corey Brown, who placed second in the 2008 race in a photo finish, second in the 2002 race and dead-heated for third whilst riding Lahar in the 1999 Melbourne Cup.[7]

Shocking's 2010 autumn campaign was curtailed by an injury after two unplaced starts. Returning in the spring of 2010, he won second-up in the Group Two Makybe Diva Stakes over 1,600 metres, putting him into Melbourne Cup favouritism. He followed up with a luckless fourth in the Caulfield Cup and a 6th in the LKS MacKinnon Stakes. He was the second favourite for the Melbourne Cup on 2 November, behind dual Cox Plate and Mackinnon Stakes winner So You Think. In the autumn of 2011, Shocking again showed his liking for Flemington when winning the Australian Cup over 2,000 metres.

The Australian Cup win ended up being Shocking's final career start.

## Stud career

[edit]

Shocking stands at Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand. His stud fee was $12,500 + GST in 2024.[8]

### Notable progeny

[edit]

Shocking has sired 5 Group One winners:

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

Foaled  | Name  | Sex  | Dam  | Dam sire  | Major wins

|
|
|
|
|

2012  | Fanatic[9] | f  | Komplete Klass (NZ)  | Groom Dancer (USA)  | 2016 New Zealand Oaks
2014  | Defibrillate[10] | g  | Our Chickaroonie (NZ)  | Groom Dancer (USA)  | 2022 Zabeel Classic
2017  | Here To Shock[11] | g  | Frescoes (AUS)  | Lonhro (AUS)  | 2025 BCD Group Sprint
2017  | I'm Thunderstruck[12] | g  | Primadonna Girl (NZ)  | Edenwold (Can)  | 2021 Toorak Handicap
2022 Makybe Diva Stakes
2018  | El Vencedor[13] | g  | Strictly Maternal (NZ)  | O'Reilly (NZ)  | 2024 & 2025 Bonecrusher Stakes
2025 Herbie Dyke Stakes
2025 Otaki-Maori Weight for Age

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Victoria, Thoroughbred Horse Racing In Victoria | Racing. "Home". Racing Victoria.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
2. ^ "Melbourne Cup Winner Shocking Retired to Stud". Retrieved 10 June 2011.
3. ^ "Typhoon Tracy named Horse of the Year". Thoroughbred Village. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
4. ^ "Shocking claims Melbourne Cup win". BBC Sport. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
5. ^ Harvey, Virginia (12 November 2009). "Alex stoked at Muswellbrook win". The Land. Rural Press. p. 64.
6. ^ Cairns tiler's Shocking win in Melbourne Cup, The Cairns Post, 4 November 2009
7. ^ a b Mark Kavanagh's Shocking wins Melbourne Cup, The Australian, 3 November 2009
8. ^ "Stallions - Shocking". www.richhillstud.co.nz.
9. ^ "Fanatic (NZ) 2012 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ".
10. ^ "Defibrillate (NZ) 2014 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ".
11. ^ "Here To Shock (NZ) 2017 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
12. ^ "I'm Thunderstruck Racehorse Profile, Stats, Form Guide, News & Results | Racenet".
13. ^ "El Vencedor (NZ) 2018 / Breeding / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Unattributed (1 January 2010). "Sport quotes of 2009 – Part 2". The Age. Australia. p. Sport section, p. 4. – Contains an interesting quote from Kevin Thomas, the Queensland horse broker who sold Shocking for $64,000 in late 2007.