His sire Shocking is building a great record at stud, especially as the sire of middle-distance stayers while his dam Grandissima was the winner of two races, over 1950m and 2000m, and was placed second in the Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton as a 3-year-old.
It is the family of The Mighty Lions, whose six wins included the Group 1 Avondale Cup and also Marenostro, who is the winner of 10 races and now trained in Sydney by Waller.
A colt by Shamexpress out of Grandissima was offered at the premier session of this year's Karaka yearling sales but was passed in, with a reserve of $35,000 on him.
Scandalo drew the extreme outside barrier at Wairoa but jockey Chris Johnson bounced the horse away brilliantly and got to a clear lead at the end of the first 700m.
Johnson then rated the horse nicely in front and when he asked the horse to extend at the top of the home straight he accelerated clear to win by 3 and 3/4 lengths.
Campbell said Scandalo has come through the race well and he was likely to step out next in a Rating 65 race over 1600m at Waipukurau on March 23.
Win well deserved
There was probably no more deserving winner on the first day of last week's annual Wairoa meeting than Oscar's Shadow in a maiden 1400m race.
Although the Dane Shadow mare was recording her first official win she was first past the post in a 1400m maiden race at Otaki back in November 2015 only to be relegated to second for alleged interference.
That Otaki race came at Oscar's Shadow's fourth career start and followed a third and a fourth. She is now a 4-year-old but has still only had 15 starts in total for her Hastings trainers Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen.
The mare is owned by Lowry's Taupo-based father Pat Lowry, who bought the horse at an Australian sale and then set about getting a group together to race her.
Most of those involved live around the Taupo area but one of them, Fred Coates, lives in Hastings and Oscar's Shadow races in his family's blue and white colours.
Oscar's Shadow came through her Wairoa so well that Lowry and Cullen were keen to back her up in a Rating 65 race over 1600m on her home track yesterday.
Powerful performance
Lamborghini, a horse that has promised plenty in the past but not always delivered, found his best form when powering away to a strong win in a Rating 65 race over 1900m at Wairoa on Thursday of last week.
The Shinko King 6-year-old was recording just his second win but was having only his 17th career start.
Guy Lowry, who co-trains Lamborghini with Grant Cullen, said the horse has always had a huge amount of ability but a series of injuries and problems had held him back.
He recorded his first win in a 1600m maiden at Woodville in January last year but then did not race for another 10 months. The horse is probably now the best he has ever been in respect of soundness and that is now starting to show on the racetrack.
Prior to last week's Wairoa win, Lamborghini indicated he was close to his best with a fast-finishing third over 1600m at Trentham on January 28. At Wairoa, jockey Masa Tanaka settled him midfield in the early stages but made sure he was away from the inside rail, knowing the horse needed plenty of racing room. He moved him up to challenge for the lead just before the home turn and the horse raced away in the home straight to win by 5 and 3/4 lengths.
Lamborghini is owned by Cambridge-based Tony Rider, who has been a long time supporter of the Lowry/Cullen stable.
The horse came through last week's win so well that his connections decided to back him up in a Rating 75 2100m race at yesterday's Hawke's Bay meeting.
Bi-monthly award winners
Hawke's Bay couple Peter and Sharon Robertson, the part-owners of Zed Leppelin, are the recipients of the bi-monthly Kevin Wood Memorial Trophy for the months of December and January.
The award, donated by the Hawke's Bay Racehorse Owners Association, was presented at yesterday's Hawke's Bay meeting.
Zed Leppelin, who is trained on the Hastings track by Sue Thompson and Mick Brown, scored a winning double on the Hastings track when successful in a Rating 65 race over 2100m on November 6 and a Rating 65 event over 2000m on December 8.
Dee to partner Rising Red
Melbourne-based jockey Michael Dee, who began his riding career in Hastings before embarking on a successful Australian career, will return to his homeland to partner the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Rising Red in tomorrow's Group 1 $1 million Vodafone New Zealand Derby.
A son of Redwood, Rising Red proved too good for his older rivals at Sandown last week and previously had finished a closing second to subsequent Group 2 winner Farson.
The Busuttin/Young team have enjoyed good success with staying 3-year-olds, having landed VRC and ATC Derbies with Sangster and Tavago respectively.
Back on familiar turf
Hong Kong jockey Derek Leung makes a fleeting trip back to New Zealand to ride Cha Siu Bao in tomorrow's Group 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie.
Leung has been granted permission by the Hong Kong Jockey Club to accept the mount on the Hong Kong-owned 3-year-old and will be back in Hong Kong to ride at Sha Tin the following night.
Cha Siu Bao, a son of Smart Missile, is trained by Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott and it was at the O'Sullivans' Wexford Stables that Leung spent a couple of seasons as part of the HKJC's apprentice training programme.
Leung rode seven winners when apprenticed to O'Sullivan. He won the 2010 Asian Young Guns Challenge and was in the top 10 riders on the Hong Kong premiership last season.
Bowman on NZ filly
Hugh Bowman has been confirmed as the rider for top Kiwi filly La Bella Diosa in her next Sydney assignment.
Bowman had been approached to ride La Bella Diosa in her Australian debut last Saturday, but had a commitment for Omei Sword so former New Zealand jockey Jason Collett picked up the winning mount on the So You Think filly in the Group 2 Surround Stakes.
Collett will be serving a suspension when La Bella Diosa next races in the Group 3 A$200,000 ($215,000) Keith Nolan Classic (1600m) at Kembla Grange on March 10 and the filly's trainers Matt and Mandy Brown are thrilled to secure Bowman.
"He told his agent to definitely take the mount," said Matt Brown, who had the engagement confirmed last Monday.
"It's just for the one race at this stage. We're in a good position because they [Bowman and Collett] have both got the same agent so if we can't get him for the next race we could get Jason again. We couldn't be happier with Jason. He rode her well."
Astara to Sydney
Dual stakes winner Astara has been transferred across the Tasman to continue her racing career.
The 3-year-old daughter of Dalghar won the Listed Soliloquy Stakes in October and the Listed Champagne Stakes at the back-end of her 2-year-old year for trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs.
"Her owner, Neven Botica, has transferred Astara to Sydney," Logan said. "I believe she is now with the Snowden stable. Neven is hoping to get some exposure for Astara's sire Dalghar as he is a majority owner of the stallion."
Astara was beaten less than three lengths in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas behind last Saturday's Group 2 Surround Stakes winner La (Bella) Diosa.
Masterton incentive
The Masterton Racing Club has announced that it will pay the jockey riding fees on behalf of the owners of all starters at its race meeting on Sunday, March 26.
This represents a significant saving to owners as the jockey's fee, inclusive of GST, is $161.64.