New Zealand punters are set to get their first glimpse of Group One performer Express Yourself (NZ) (Shamexpress) in more than a year when she heads to Trentham next weekend to tackle the Listed Bill Tito Book Repair Specialist Lightning Handicap (1200m).
Following her runner-up effort behind Mercurial in last year’s Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m), and subpar unplaced run in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m) at Ellerslie, she tested her talent in Australia for interim trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.
She raced on four occasions out of their Cranbourne barn under the name Expressiveness, and placed in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) and Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m), but part-owner and trainer Nikki Hurdle said she didn’t handle the city environment.
“Sadly, we didn’t see the best of her in Australia,” she said. “I do believe she was good enough to win one of those races had she been perfectly sound, but she just jarred up and couldn’t handle it over there.”
Express Yourself returned to Hurdle’s care late last year and won her trial over 850m at Foxton, but her handler wasn’t happy with her condition and elected to send her to the spelling paddock instead of heading towards her initial target of the Telegraph in January.
“She came back from Australia and I wasn’t happy with her,” Hurdle said. “She was meant to go to the Telegraph but after the trial, despite winning it, I knew she wasn’t herself, so I put her out and gave her some time.”
The six-year-old daughter of Shamexpress has thrived with the break, which told at Foxton on Tuesday where she showed a good turn of foot late to take a gap between runners and finish off strongly to take out her 850m trial ahead of Group Three performer Bradman.
“I am very thrilled with her. She had a jumpout a week ago and went excellent as well,” Hurdle said.
“Everyone has her pegged as a frontrunner, but I don’t, and it was nice to see her come through like that (today in her trial).”
Hurdle now heads into next week with plenty of confidence and is looking forward to being reunited with her Victorian-based son Ryan, who will arrive back in New Zealand to ride Express Yourself in the Lightning.
“I identified the Lightning as the only race suitable for her this season in New Zealand, so I have been working towards that with her,” she said.
“Ryan will ride her in the Lightning, and he is coming home early. Her last three or four workouts will be out at the beach and I think it will be really good for her.”
Express Yourself’s racing future will be heavily reliant on her Lightning performance, with Hurdle weighing up whether to return to Australia with the mare or offer her to the market as a broodmare proposition.
“There is not much left for her in New Zealand after that (Lightning). I would have to get together with the owners and we would have to make a decision,” Hurdle said.
“If we did go back to Australia, I would go back to Melbourne in the spring. I think she is a horse that appreciates a cut in the track. There are just so many opportunities for mares over there over a sprint distance, which is lacking here in New Zealand.
“If she goes well next Saturday, and we decide we will keep going, I will probably train her myself over there and base myself at Ballarat with my son.
“If she doesn’t go well and has maybe come to the end of it, we would probably have to put her up for sale as a broodmare, which would be a sad day for us. But she will be an amazing broodmare, I just know she will leave a good horse.
“She has done an incredible job. As an individual she is such a cool horse.”
