Bulginbaah (Trudy Thornton) getting the better of Richard Beymer when adding to his 2006 Foxbridge Plate win with a decisive victory in the event yesterday. Photo: NZ Racing News.   

Shahzamani, owned by Ron Khan and his family, won the 1989 Foxbridge Plate for Rotorua trainer Ken Thompson and rider Bob Vance.

Today Khan reflected on that memorable win after he faced the unenviable decision of having to end Shahzamani's life.

"She was 27 and the cold weather had got to her," said Khan.

"Her health had deteriorated and we were left with no other decision but to put her down today.

"She'll be buried on my place here in Matamata and I'll always remember her.

"She was a great mare for the family and she won some good races. I can still remember her winning the Foxbridge Plate."

Shahzamani, a daughter of Amyntor and the Idomeneo mare Hinetai, won 11 races, including two as a two-year-old.

Her best win came in the Gr II ARC Lets Rent A Car Trophy and as well as the Foxbridge Plate she won another three Listed races - the Founders' Plate, the Rotorua Stakes and the Waipa RC Galilee Stakes.

She was also seven times stakes-placed, including seconds in the Gr III Waikato RC Noble Heights Stakes and the Listed Galilee Stakes and a third in the Gr III Cambridge JC Dulcie Stakes.

As a broodmare, Shahzamani produced 11 foals, of whom eight raced and four were winners, including Tsar Omar (six wins) and Biggles (three wins).

"I've kept her last foal, a two-year-old filly by Black Tuxedo," said Khan.