Performance

Shines Like Metallic established a highly successful cutting career in Australia, competing consistently at Futurity, Derby, Classic and Open level under Phil Dawson and later with other riders. His career began prominently in 2018, when he won the second go-round of the NCHA Open Futurity with a score of 217 before finishing equal third on score in the final with 216. Only weeks later, he became DDCC Open Futurity Champion, scoring 148 in the final to win by seven points and record the highest aggregate score of the event. He also finished fifth in the Victorian Open Futurity that season. He continued that form into his Derby year in 2019, finishing third in the NCHA Open Derby after entering the final as the aggregate leader and becoming Reserve Champion in the DDCC Open Derby. His 2019 season also included the North Star $15,000 Novice Co-Championship and Reserve Champion honours in the $15,000 Novice at the SQCHA Chinchilla Cutting. Shines Like Metallic subsequently developed into a consistent Open and Novice competitor. In 2020 he won the Condamine Open, followed by both the Open and $15,000 Novice at Burrandowan. His 2021 season was particularly strong, with wins in the Balonne Open, SQCHA Goondiwindi Open Futurity and Goondiwindi 5/6-Year-Old Classic, together with third in the Autumn Spectacular Open Classic Challenge and victory in the $15,000 Novice at Armidale. He was subsequently named South Queensland Open Cutting Horse of the Year for 2021. His later career continued to demonstrate his competitiveness beyond the aged-event years. In 2022 he was Champion at the Pink Cutting with Bernie Lucas and Reserve Champion in the North Star Open Classic, while in 2023 he continued competing in Open Non Pro competition with owner Belinda Staib. Across his career, Shines Like Metallic progressed from a leading Futurity horse into a successful Derby, Classic, Open and Novice competitor, demonstrating sustained competitiveness across multiple seasons of Australian cutting competition.

Foal crop