After a splendid victory in the Musidora Stakes at York, Emily Upjohn is hot favourite for the Epsom Oaks. Here the unbeaten filly's owner Jonathan Shack speaks to Jon Lees
GB: If Jonathan Shack can realise an Epsom Classic dream with hugely exciting filly Emily Upjohn, both Groucho Marx and Sir Henry Cecil will deserve some of the credit.
Marx for the inspiration of the name of the Cazoo Oaks favourite – which comes from the hypochondriac patient of Groucho’s character Dr Hugo Z Hackenbush from the 1937 classic comedy caper A Day At The Races – and Cecil for reawak
ening Shack’s enthusiasm for horse racing when it was at its lowest ebb.
He had known success on the track through his father Cyril’s past involvement in the exploits of Swiss Maid, Europe’s champion filly in 1978, and 1981 Prix de Diane winner Madam Gay.
Yet by the end of the century the family’s interest in the sport had almost completely diminished – until a chance meeting with Sir Henry in Morocco.
“In 2001 I met up with Sir Henry Cecil in Marrakech,” recalls Shack, 63. “I just introduced myself in the hotel foyer. I had sort of got out of racing but Henry sparked a re-interest.
“I ended up sending him a horse that had done nothing for another trainer,” adds the owner, whose horses usually run in the name of the family’s investment company, Tactful Finance.
“He got it to win on its second start at Folkestone and we then bought three fillies in the next couple of years for him,” Shack explains. “One was called Portrait Of A Lady and she got black type for Henry; there was another called Play That Tune that got black type for Henry.”
In the context of Warren Place, the Shack team were hardly expected to be major players. “Henry would always tell everyone that we had the cheapest horses in his yard!” says the owner.
“The first winner Change Of Image cost 6,000gns, Play The Tune cost 14,000gns and Portrait Of A Lady 12,000gns. He always told me, ‘Jonathan, the horse doesn’t know its price tag’.”
“Henry got a real buzz out of it,” Shack continues. “I had a Mount Nelson filly that was Henry’s last winner before he passed away called Court Pastoral. He emailed me from his hospital to say, ‘Jonathan, you are going to have real fun with this filly’. She won first time out, second time out, third time out, and she cost 12,000gns.”
Operating on a limited budget, Shack, who has a farm in Hertfordshire, nearly always buys only at the Tattersalls October Book 2 sale – “our lucky sale,” he says.
Yet he remains staggered that Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock was able to secure Emily Upjohn – a daughter of Sea The Stars out of a mare from the same family as Derby winner Harzand – for just 60,000gns to race in partnership with retired hedge fund manager Stuart Roden.
The physically imposing filly won on first time out at Wolverhampton last November for the father-and-son team of John and Thady Gosden and then burst into Classic consideration on her turf debut when blowing apart a novice race at Sandown which she won by 9½ lengths.
Emily Upjohn booked her place at Epsom with another impressive display in the Musidora Stakes, which she claimed by 5½ lengths to become favourite for the Cazoo Oaks on June 3. Frankie Dettori has compared her to the great Enable at the same stage of her career.
Shack won the same race with the Mark Johnston-trained Secret History in 2005 but that turned out to be the peak of that filly’s racing successes.
“It might sound trite to say but we take each day as it comes,” says Shack. “We hope Emily Upjohn stays safe and sound and shows us what she is capable of.
“With Emily Upjohn we have two of the greatest trainers in the world, the best team of staff at Clarehaven, including Rab Havlin, and the best pre-training set-up with Malcolm Bastard. On top of that you have Frankie Dettori!”
Evidently Shack wasn’t expecting such a spectacular debut on the grass, however. “I have a new policy of never asking the trainer any questions,” he explains. “They make the entry, I watch the race and then they tell me afterwards. But there was a buzz from Malcolm Bastard after he broke her in.
“The Sandown run was staggering, really, but her performance at Wolverhampton gave us an inkling because she was incredibly green and didn’t know what she was doing. When the penny dropped she kept fighting to win the race.
“I may be biased but I have never seen such a beautiful, strapping horse. She brought back memories of Swiss Maid and Madam Gay, both very big, athletic individuals. Everyone at York remarked on how she looked.”
Majority owner Shack reports that his co-owner Roden can hardly believe his luck. “Stuart is in a state of shock – especially when he was told the other day she had an entry in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He’s had horses with me before but Emily Upjohn is his first winner.”
For that reason Shack says Emily Upjohn is not for sale. “Stuart is a major enthusiast, closely followed by my Dad and I,” he says. “No offers have been entertained.
“She is going to have a spin at ‘Breakfast With The Stars’ so we will go through all the hoops before committing to anything.
“Hopefully there are some exciting times ahead but we are keeping our feet on the ground,” he adds. “The emphasis is on the filly staying safe and sound but it’s great fun and great to be able to compete at this level. I’m living the dream.”
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