Group One performer Express Yourself has returned home from her spring campaign in Melbourne and is now on a path towards the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham on January 4.
The six-year-old mare had four starts at Caulfield for trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, placing in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) in August and Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m) on Caulfield Cup Day.
She has returned to part-owner Nikki Hurdle’s Awapuni stable in Palmerston North, and while pleased with her stakes results, Hurdle said her mare didn’t settle into the urban training environment in Australia and is pleased to get her home in a paddock.
“She did well (in Australia). The fact that she ran third on Caulfield Cup Day was awesome,” Hurdle said.
“I probably underestimated how she would react to the different environment, and they are worlds apart. At my place she has a paddock, and I have only got two horses, whereas it is a huge establishment at Price-Kent Racing.
“Your horse is a thinking animal, and I know what makes her tick. He (Price) did try different things for me, but at the end of the day she was still in that very urban setting. I just don’t think it suited her, so the fact she ran those placings was pleasing, and it showed her heart.
“We weren’t disappointed in her, I just don’t think we saw the best of her, and that is why I brought her home. We went over several times and I could just see that she wasn’t the horse she is here. They looked after her superbly I just don’t think their regime suited her that much.”
Hurdle gave the daughter of Shamexpress a freshen-up on her return to New Zealand and gave Express Yourself her first public hit-out ahead of summer racing at the Foxton trials on Tuesday where she won her 850m heat.
While pleased with the win, Hurdle wasn’t overly enamoured with the trial and is hoping her mare returns to her form of old before January’s Group One target, which she was runner-up in earlier this year behind Mercurial.
“She came back in nice order and we gave her a couple of weeks off and we are just starting a build-up hopefully towards the Telegraph,” Hurdle said.
“I was happy with her trial, but I wasn’t excited. She is not quite there yet, and I don’t know whether she will bounce back, but we have got a bit of time.”
Express Yourself’s next target will likely be next Thursday’s Levin Stakes (1200m) at Otaki, and Hurdle is hoping that brings her on for her summer campaign as she is eager to go one better in the Telegraph in January.
“It is a bit of unfinished business when you are beaten a nostril (in the Telegraph),” Hurdle said. “I do think it will be a lot tougher this year, it is going to be a big race with the prizemoney ($550,000), change of date, and sprint series (Sport Nation Champion Sprint Series).
“We will head towards it (Telegraph) and see how she is going. I will nominate her next week for the Levin Stakes, and we will just take it one step at a time.”
Hurdle is unsure of what targets lie beyond the Telegraph, with the Manawatu horsewoman loathe to return to Ellerslie following Express Yourself’s subpar showing in January’s Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m).
“She is quite a hard horse to place now,” Hurdle said. “She is not a horse I really want to travel, she didn’t seem to travel that well to Auckland that time, so opportunities for her aren’t great.
“I wouldn’t say no (to the sprint series), but it is not a high priority. I am really worried about taking her back to Ellerslie, she just absolutely hated that track.
“I would look at the 1400m (Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint) at Te Rapa, it is a beautiful track and our way around of going, which takes a few of the doubts out.”