Shamexpress 2YO Impresses

Media Release - Friday March 26

The Tony Pike-trained Rangi Toa was an impressive debut winner of the Kasa Bloodstock 2YO (1100m) at New Plymouth on Friday, and has the makings of a horse with plenty of ability.

Impressive two-year-old winner Rangi Toa at New Plymouth on Friday Photo: Race Images (Peter Rubery)

The son of Shamexpress was sent out favourite on the back of an impressive trial victory at Rotorua but was caught deep throughout after drawing the outside barrier, yet still proved too good under rider Michael McNab.

“We didn’t really want to start from gate nine, but there weren't many options coming up to kick his career off,” Pike said.

“We’ve always had a pretty high opinion of him and his trial was good. Not many two-year-olds can sit three and four deep the entire trip and still win reasonably comfortably.

“He looks like a promising two-year-old and I think he's only going get better when he gets over a touch further as well. He’s a lovely big strong colt and he’s obviously got a pretty good future.”

Rangi Toa will now target a 1300m two-year-old event at Hawke’s Bay on April 13.

“That’s probably going to be the race to decide what his immediate future is,” Pike said.

“If he happened to just win nicely, he probably goes to the paddock and comes back to look at Guineas races as a three-year-old. But if he happened to be super impressive over 1300m at Hawke’s Bay then we’ll give consideration to taking him to Brisbane for races like the Sires’ Produce (Gr.2, 1400m) or even the JJ Atkins (Gr.1, 1600m).”

Rangi Toa was a $105,000 purchase at last November’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale from the draft of Riversely Park.

Advertisement

“He breezed up very well. A new owner, Rob de Courcy, had just come back to live in New Zealand from working in Hong Kong and was keen to get into a racehorse.

“We had four or five picked out off the breeze ups and he was last one that went through the ring and the only one we could afford – we got blown away on the rest.

“He was a big strong colt and breezed up really well, so he ticked all the boxes and we got him at a reasonable price range as well.”

Meanwhile Pike will have a couple of runners at Tauranga tomorrow, including promising filly Marchioness who will clash with Gr.1 New Zealand Derby winner Rocket Spade in a strong three-year-old race.

“Marchioness is a promising filly, we’ve always had a really high opinion of her,” Pike said.

“She still wants to do a fair bit wrong, but she’s a really progressive filly. It’s a massive step up in class tomorrow against the likes of Rocket Spade and Tina Again but she’s likely to roll forward in a small field and it's going to give us a bit of a line on where we’re heading in the immediate future with her. I think she's going to better things but whether it’s this preparation, we’ll find out tomorrow.”

He also hopes last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Loire can recapture her best form in the J Swap Contractors Bay Of Plenty Cup (1400m), with Pike bypassing a race last week due to her bloods being off, but happy with the way the mare has responded to treatment. – NZ Racing Desk

Visit the profile page for Shamexpress

Shamexpress in upcoming sales:
Advertisment

Race Result - Kasa Bloodstock Mdn 1100m

New Plymouth Raceway Track: Dead(4) Time: 1:05.65
1
Rangi Toa
- 2c Shamexpress (NZ) x Double Parked (NZ) (Thorn Park (AUS))
Tnr: A W Pike Rdr: M J Mc Nab 57.5
2
1.0
My Tarnz Girl
- 2f Showcasing (GB) x Divorcee (NZ) (Iffraaj (GB))
Tnr: K Gray Rdr: L J Allpress 55.5
3
1.5
No Nay Jubilee
- 2f No Nay Never (USA) x Junoesque (AUS) (Spinning World (USA))
Tnr: Ms R Lockett Rdr: M K Hudson 55.5
4
2.3
Helluvah Return
- 2f Turn Me Loose (NZ) x Hell Yeah (NZ) (Pyrus (USA))
Tnr: G R Vile Rdr: S J Macnab 55.5
5
4.3
Jamaican Express
- 2f Shamexpress (NZ) x Miss Ottey (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: R J Patterson Rdr: S T Collett 55.5
6
4.5
Laser's Fury
- 2g Vancouver (AUS) x High Hostess (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: G J Harvey Rdr: J Parkes 57.5
7
5.3
Ginsburg
- 2f Iffraaj (GB) x La Adelita (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: M Baker & A Forsman Rdr: D S Johnson 55.5
8
6.8
Belle Wind
- 2f Epaulette (AUS) x Isabelino (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: M G Forbes Rdr: C J Grylls 55.5
9
7.3
All In Echoes
- 2f Echoes Of Heaven (AUS) x All In Bluff (NZ) (Postponed (USA))
Tnr: Jade Zuppicich Rdr: T D Thornton 55.5
More Reading...
Impressive First winner for Armory
Mapperley Stud stallion Armory recorded his first winner on Sunday when his two-year-old daughter Silhouette raced to a dominant victory in the Fusion Electrical Two-Year-Old (900m) at Trentham.
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..
From FNQ To Sha Tin - Aussie Bred Sprinter Wins G2 Premier Bowl
Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
Early Return Home for Cogburn
Group I winning Not This Time son Cogburn (USA) will return to WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier than planned after disappointing fertility results during his first Australian covering season at Widden Stud.
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Sires With Winners - Friday October 24
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Wootton Bassett and Camelot 2YO Colts Win Final French Group Ones
The last French Group I races of their flat season were run on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien produced the winners of both the Group I Criterium International (1600m) and Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (1800m).
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
One to Watch – Sha Tin – You Don’t See That Every Day!
The Mark Newnham stable has been on fire in Hong Kong since the start of the new season and the former Sydney trainer produced a super promising winner at Sha Tin on Sunday by Capitalist that did everything wrong and miraculously still won the race!
New Cup Goal for Wolfgang
It may not be the Cup target they were aiming for, but Wolfgang put himself firmly into Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) calculations following his victory in the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Monday.