Bargain Shamexpress Filly Salutes

Media Release - Thursday April 25

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.

Diva Express - Trish DunnellPrepared by Ken Rae and daughter Krystal Williams-Tuhoro, the Shamexpress filly was the most experienced in the field having her sixth raceday start in the contest, a record that included a third in Listed company at Riccarton back in November.

Bounced to the front from a wide barrier by rider Vinnie Colgan, Diva Express travelled sweetly as she set a solid pace that had a number of her competitors off the bit approaching the home corner.

Under the urgings of Colgan, Diva Express found plenty in the run home as she held out the challenges of Showoroses and Grayvee in the closing stages to register her first career victory.

Rae was quick to praise the filly who he picked up for just $4,500 from the Mapperley Stud draft during Book 3 at Karaka last year.

"She is not the biggest horse in commission but I'd rather have a small horse with plenty of heart than a big one with no heart," he said.

"She's very tough and she just thrives on hard work.

"She has done most of her racing in the South Island and was probably a little too fresh when she ran at Riccarton last month.

Advertisement

"She over-raced a touch because of it so I said to Vinnie I didn't mind where she was today but to just get her to settle.

"He rated her nicely in front and she was just too good in the end."

With a victory under her belt now, Rae believes there could be more in store for Diva Express over the next few months.

"The way she has gone today I think she could figure in some of those good winter two-year-old races that are coming up," he said.

"Something like the Ryder Stakes could be on the cards but we'll take her home and see how she does before we make any plans for her."

The Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) will be run as the final two-year-old feature of the 2018-19 season at Otaki on July 27. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Karaka Graduates Stakes Quinella
Qiji Express NZ) (Shamexpress) and She's a Thief (NZ) (Showcasing) cost just $57,500 between them at Karaka in 2017, but they fought out the finish in a high-quality running of the $60,000 Listed Mufhasa FastTrack Stakes (1300m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.
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.
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%.
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 31
Here is the full list of 23 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Yes Yes Yes Filly Wins $100,000 Inglis Xtra Bonus
Passionate owner/ breeder Julia Ritchie is one of the key shareholders in Everest winner Yes Yes Yes, who recently relocated to Gooree Park Stud, and a filly she bred and sold called Mrs Goldberg collected a $100,000 Inglis Xtra bonus on Friday at Coffs Harbour.
Best Ever Season for Hellbent
With his oldest progeny turning six on Friday, Yarraman Park’s Hellbent is coming to the end of his best ever season with some 126 individual Australian winners collecting over $11.1million.
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.
Shooting to Win Relocating to Yarradale Stud
Yarradale Stud has purchased Group 1 racehorse and sire Shooting To Win to cover his first book at its Gidgegannup property this season.
Glorious Goodwood Day 3 – Flag Start Can’t Stop Wootton Bassett
The Group I Nassau Stakes (1m2f) for fillies and mares was the highlight on the third day of Glorious Goodwood and very nearly didn’t happen at all given the ‘biblical’ rain and a flag start for the five runners that braved the treacherous conditions.
Two Out of Three for Hard Press
New Zealand-bred three year-old Hard Press made it back-to-back wins when successful at Sandown on Wednesday over 1000m bringing a good pedigree update for his full brother headed to Karaka Book 1 in 2020.