Shale for Donnacha O'Brien seems to be a forgotten horse on the flat this season with the three year old giving the young trainer one of his first black type winners as a handler and O'Brien has announced his plans for the filly this term.
The filly made her debut in a decent maiden where she ran no race, but came on massively for the first experience to get off the mark at Gowran Park on heavy ground.
She backed that up in a Group Three at Leopardstown before just falling short behind Pretty Gorgeous in a Group Two at the Curragh.
The daughter of Galileo stepped up for the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes over the same course and distance and reversed the form with the Joseph O'Brien runner to land her first black type event, with the good ground being crucial for her success.
Shale strikes!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 13, 2020
It's revenge over old rival Pretty Gorgeous in the Group 1 @MoyglareStud Stakes under Ryan Moore for @donnacha_obrien at @curraghrace #LICW2020 @curraghrace #IrishChampsWknd pic.twitter.com/nYj2kS9Vrt
She then headed to Newmarket next time out in the bet365 Fillies' Mile and could only finish sixth with the soft ground not playing to her strengths.
This season she returned to make her debut as a three year old and she finished a good fifth in the Group Three 1000 Guineas Trial.
Shale was then set to run in the 1000 Guineas or Irish 1000 Guineas but the ground coming up soft for both she did not turn up and now O'Brien is looking at either the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot or the Prix de Diane in France.
(Credit Racing Post) He said: "We didn't want to run her on very bad ground.
"It's going to be a long season so we didn't want to bottom her. She's fine, though, and I'd imagine it'll be either the Prix de Diane or the Coronation Stakes for her."