Shamexpress Winner Impressive

Tara Madgwick - Thursday May 24

Smart colt Qiji Express turned his fortunes around at Hawke's Bay with a commanding front-running performance to open his account.

Quiji Express - RAce ImagesThe son of Shamexpress worked hard to lead in the Balance Agri-Nutrients 2YO (1200m) before coasting clear for a hollow victory under Matt Cameron.

Qiji Express was coming off a fourth placing in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Stakes (1100m) at Te Rapa where he suffered an interrupted run.

"He was very unlucky at his last start, he didn't get much of a go at all," co-trainer Murray Baker said. "We might look at the Castletown Stakes with him now."

Qiji Express is raced by Chinese connections, including Horse Feng Bloodstock's Hongwei Chen and Alex Teng and Tianjin-based businessman Fudong Niu.

Advertisement

A son of Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress, Qiji Express is a graduate of the NZB Select Yearling Sale, where he was secured for $27,500.

Baker was also satisfied with the performance of stablemate Ignored, who finished midfield on debut.

"She was slow away and ran home really well," Baker said. "We think she is a very good filly in the making and we'll probably spell her." - NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
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).
Shamexpress Winner Impresses
New Zealand-bred gelding Gunga Din (NZ) (ShamExpress) relished a hot race tempo at Rosehill in Sydney on Saturday to street his Highway Handicap rivals and pull off another training coup for veteran Canberra trainer Keith Dryden.
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.
Doubtland 2YO All On Red Smashes Them Again at Ascot
Widden Stud's Doubtland has a potential 2YO topliner in Perth in the shape of exciting WA colt All On Red, who remains undefeated from two starts after another comprehensive Ascot Saturday win.
Ka Ying Rising Stunning in G1 Centenary Sprint
The world’s best sprinter tag sits easily upon Ka Ying Rising who produced an utterly stunning display in winning the Group I Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.
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).
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.
New Stakes-Winner for Shamexpress
Exciting young sire ShamExpress (O’Reilly) continued his golden run at the weekend with new 3YO stakes winner Qiji Express lifting his first-crop stakes winners to runners ratio to an impressive 10,3%.
Bargain Shamexpress Filly Salutes
Ruakaka galloper Diva Express proved too swift for her two-year-old rivals when she took out the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m) at Avondale on Thursday.