Explosive Sterling Express scores at Rotorua

[Wandering Eyes]

Sterling Express (NZ) (Shamexpress) came from nowhere to collect the fourth victory of his promising career at Arawa Park on Sunday, taking out the MacMillan Accountants 1400.

Prepared by Mark Brosnan at Matamata, Sterling Express has been lightly-raced with twelve previous starts resulting in three wins and three minor placings, a record punters anticipated he may improve, backing him into $5.20 favouritism ahead of Sudbina ($5.30).

Slowest away from the barriers, Sterling Express settled among the backmarkers in the hands of Masa Hashizume, with This Little Light heading the field at a decent tempo.

Turning for home, the four-year-old had a task on his hands with the entirety of the field ahead of him, but Hashizume weaved a path through down the straight and burst into the clear short of the line, running down the Te Akau pair of Wolverine and Malborough Bay to score by a long neck.

While having plenty of faith in his charge, Brosnan hadn’t expected him to make up the margin in such devastating fashion.

“It was a really big performance from him,” Brosnan said.

“I knew he had a pretty good sprint, but I didn’t think he would get there, it was very good.

“He has been up for a while but we’ll probably keep him going a little while longer, I’ll look for another race for him.”

Sterling Express raced in the colours of his co-breeder and owner Gloria Macrae, who has been a strong supporter of Brosnan and enjoyed recent success with stablemate Fly My Wey and full-sister Grace ‘N’ Glory. Also in the gelding’s ownership is former trainer Brian McKeagg. 

“Gloria bred him and Brian McKeagg used to be a trainer, he unfortunately had a stroke but he used to train for her so that’s how it began,” Brosnan said.

The son of Shamexpress is out of Macrae’s six-win mare On Parole, and the victory increased his career earnings above $113,000.

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