Local debutant Stan (NZ) (Shamexpress) lived up to the expectations of his trainer Robbie Patterson when he made a winning start to his racing career at New Plymouth.
The robust son of Shamexpress had promised plenty since winning a trial back in April 2021 but a series of physical issues that saw him have bone chips removed from a fetlock along with a growth from his windpipe, has forced Patterson to play a waiting game before lining him up on Saturday.
With plenty of educated local money on board that saw him start a $3.80 second favourite for the 990m contest, Stan never provided his many supporters and apprentice rider Ciel Butler with a care in world as he settled handily in the trail before driving between runners in the home straight to draw away to a comfortable two-length victory.
Patterson believes that now Stan has made it to the track that he will progress through the grades quickly on the firmer summer tracks for his mate Phil Drought, who co-bred and owns the four-year-old.
Photo credit: Race Images – Peter Rubery
“He has been a real work in progress but he can certainly gallop,” Patterson said.
“He won his first trial as a two-year-old but developed problems in a fetlock and no sooner had we had the chips removed he started to have a few breathing problems.
“Once we got all that sorted, we never rushed him as he is a pretty big lump of a horse but a true athlete in the way he moves, so we just let him tell us when he was ready to go.
“He is very green but has a giant stride and really good high-end speed.
“My main worry today was that he wouldn’t get around the corners as he would be going too fast.
“I think when he gets out to 1400m and can freewheel along you are going to see a pretty smart horse.
Patterson was also quick to praise the ride of his apprentice Butler who was having her first raceday ride for him after making a comeback to the jockey ranks.
“Ciel rode him perfectly and it is a really great reward for her as she does everything with him during the week,” he said.
“She started off with Allan Sharrock but decided to take a break from it all before joining us.
“She went to Australia with me in the winter to help with the horses we took over there and I think she got bitten by the bug again and decided she wanted to have another go as a jockey.
“I’m so pleased she could get her first win on one of ours as she is a very hard worker and nothing is ever a problem for her.
“I know she was pretty nervous before the race but I would think she is now walking on air after the win.”
Stan is out of the Lonhro mare Lonhrielle (NZ), who won four races during a 22-start career in Australia and is from the extended family of Group One winning mares More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready), Tuesday Joy (NZ) (Carnegie) and Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence).
The race was marred by an incident at the 600m mark that saw Cape Kennedy (NZ) (Burgundy) and rider Crystal Lindsay fall with Wilewink (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and his rider Lemmy Douglas unable to avoid the fallen runner as they also crashed to the turf.
Both horses escaped without injury whereas both Lindsay and Douglas were transported to hospital for assessment on suspected ankle injuries.
Video: Stan breaks maiden ranks in style at New Plymouth
