Underrated galloper Shamus bounced back to his very best form as he provided a massive upset when taking out the feature flat event at Ellerslie on Saturday, the Almanzor – Proven Value (1400m).

All eyes were focussed on the resumption of glamour mare Orchestral who was recently voted Champion Three-Year-Old and Champion Stayer at the 2024 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards, while Group One winner Campionessa was also amongst a talent-packed line-up.

The Moira and Kieran Murdoch-prepared six-year-old slipped under the radar despite winning the Waipu Cup (1400m) two starts back at Ruakaka and then going a bold race for fourth at the same venue behind talented mare Malt Time.

Punters sent the son of Shamexpress out at a juicy $31 on the Fixed Odds market as apprentice Ace Lawson-Carroll produced a heady front-running ride despite spending some petrol to assume pacemaking duties after jumping from barrier 13.

Shamus kicked strongly when asked for an effort at the 300m and clung grimly to a half-length margin over the final stages as Rudyard, Campionessa and former Hong Kong galloper Meaningful Star charged at him in a blanket finish.

Moira Murdoch was thrilled to have owners Noel and Ron Stanley on-course to witness the victory after they sent her the horse from original trainer Allan Sharrock earlier this year to take advantage of the Murdoch’s access to beach training facilities.

“It was a super win as he drew 13 and we thought do we scratch in that quality of field,” Murdoch said.

“It was really nice as Ace just seems to have a way with him as he lets him be himself.

“He loves this surface at Ellerslie as we brought him to the jumpouts and he revelled in it as it is nice and smooth with a little bounce in it.

“We’d like to step him up in distance now as Ron is keen on that.

“We thought we would kick off here and I actually would have been thrilled if he had only weighed in, but there you go.”

By Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress, Shamus was bred by the Carter family under their Jomara Bloodstock banner and was purchased for $85,000 by Allan Sharrock out of the Woburn Farm draft at the 2020 NZB Ready To Run sale.

He has now won eight of his 18 starts and over $278,000 in prizemoney.

Supporters who backed Orchestral into the $2 favourite for the race would have been disappointed she didn’t pay a dividend, however her performance would have delighted connections as she settled second-last in the 13-horse field before running on strongly to finish eighth less than two lengths from the winner in a perfect pipe-opener to her campaign.