MONDAY April 22, 2024: NAMING an unraced horse was nearly as frustrating as the run husband and wife trainers Phil and Tara Vigouroux have experienced.
Thankfully, all that ended at Queanbeyan today when Team Vigouroux put a run of outs beyond them – and with the horse they had trouble getting a name for.
Lightly-raced three-year-old Just Shane defied a betting drift ($5.50 to $15) in winning the Maiden Plate (1000m) at only his second start, and first since November.
Coincidentally, Just Shane’s rider Jess Taylor also was aboard the couple’s previous winner Bandolero at the same track on October 9 last year.
They had enjoyed a terrific run at that time, having also scored with Zouologist at home on September 21 and Izfallingdown at Rosehill Gardens six days later.
But the winners dried up after Bandolero.
“It’s been frustrating, but you have to keep going,” Tara Vigouroux said this evening.
“It was so nice to get back into the winning list with this horse.
“We bought him online through Inglis as a yearling, and syndicated him amongst some good old cliients.”
Those “good old clients” included Tara Vigouroux’s father, former Hawkesbury Race Club chairman and life member Ken Quigley, who hasn’t enjoyed the best of health of late but is doing well and getting back to the track on racedays.
“Being sired by Showtime, some of our owners came up with really good names for the horse, but disappointingly none were available,” Mrs Vigouroux said.
“As his stable name was Shane, someone said why don’t we call him Just Shane.”
The now three-year-old is a son of former Hawkesbury mare Decantered (by Flying Spur), who notched her only win at Wyong in a 1600m Maiden in August 2007 after three seconds in a row at home.
Just Shane debuted when fourth to Spirit Of Storm in a 900m Newcastle Maiden on November 26, and prepared for his resumption in an 820m barrier trial at Kembla Grange on April 10.
“He went terribly (last of five runners and beaten 15 lengths), but it was a very heavy track and Chad Lever looked after him,” Tara Vigouroux explained.
“We very nearly didn’t go as the track was so wet.
“Phil put blinkers on Just Shane today, and Jess (Taylor) always seems to bob up and help out when we need a win.
“There’s no doubt the horse is going to appreciate even longer than today’s distance.”
Despite having to race wide, Taylor got a gap on Just Shane after straightening, and he responded strongly to hit the front and then held off $101 bolter Westbrook to end Team Vigouroux’s six months’ lean run.