Windsor Park graduate MARACANA, the multiple Group performed daughter of SHAMEXPRESS and a Magic Millions mare sale entry this week, enhanced her value considerably when adding a tough GR.3 win to her resume at the weekend.
 
Bred and part owned by her trainer Danny O’Brien, MARACANA could not have got the sales timing better when fighting on strongly to win the Gr.3 Drinkwise Mile at Doomben on Saturday with her trainer flagging the A$500,000 Magic Millions National Classic (1600m) as a potential target.

Australian Gr.3 winner MARACANA

“She’s a filly that had stakes performances earlier as a three-year-old and won last start,” O’Brien said.

“She’s a mile to 2000-metre mare. She’s got good performances. She’s actually in the (Magic Millions) mares’ sale on Tuesday and that is one of the reasons she’s up here.

“But she’s still got plenty of good racing in her. Whoever decides to put their hand up next week has a horse that is ready to go on with it. She is multiple stakes placed and now a Group Three winner as well.”

MARACANA was bred and is part-owned by O’Brien, who trained her Group One winning Windsor Park Stud sire SHAMEXPRESS.

Meanwhile at Pukekohe on Saturday, HIGHLIGHTER, another talented daughter of SHAMEXPRESS, took her earnings past the $200,000 mark when putting her rivals away comfortably to record her sixth career win for connections.

HIGHLIGHTER - took her earnings past $200,000 when winning on Saturday 

Trained by the Wexford team of Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, HIGHLIGHTER was slow away but strode through the testing ground to score in Open company by 1 ¾ lengths.

The Monovale Holdings bred mare was a $40,000 Karaka Yearling Sales purchase by Wexford Stables and Andrew Williams Bloodstock.
 
SHAMEXPRESS continues a great month and super season of success for his progeny underlined recently with the victories of Hong Kong star KA YING RISING and Singapore hero LIM’S SOLATARO.
 
KA YING RISING looks a super talent for trainer David Hayes following this month’s Sha Tin win that took the 3YO’s record to 4 wins from 6 starts. Hayes will step the exciting youngster up to Group company for his next start and has the Gr.1 Hong Kong International Sprint next December as a longer-range target all being well.

Super talented Hong Kong sprinter KA YING RISING 

LIM’S SOLATARO has posted 6 wins from 7 starts in Singapore recording a black-type second in his only other start while other smart performers for SHAMEXPRESS include this season’s Melbourne Group winning 3YO filly GRINZINGER BELLE, Gr.1 performed racemare EXPRESS YOYURSELF, 4-times winning stayer BLUE SKY AT NIGHT and back to back winning filly CATHERINENZ.
 
SHAMEXPRESS was recently announced to stand for $8,000+gst on the Windsor Park stallion roster for 2024.