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RACING HISTORY

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

It may not have been the NZ Cup as hoped, but White Arrow's 68-to-1 upset in Tuesday's $35,000 Firestone Direct FFA gave co-owner and trainer Wayne Higgs just as much satisfaction, and even more relief. "He has probably got more winning this race than what we could have logically hoped for in the Cup, but the biggest thrill is having him back to his best," said Higgs.

"He had that viral infection of the lungs last season, and sometimes they don't come back from those things. And I was starting to wonder whether he would come back from it at all. We were even starting to consider whether his future lied only in racing in America. But he turned the corner with his previous run, and the past week he has been as good as ever," he added.

Higgs took any number of positives from the result. White Arrow now has form for tomorrow's NZ Free-For-All and Higgs can now look beyond this week to the Grand Circuit again, but the satisfaction comes from getting White Arrow back to his best at home, having only had the one workout or trial this time in in September. "When a horse is not right in the lungs, it can take a long time to come right and trials only place undue stress on them. So it was best to bring him along in a controlled enviroment (at home) and get him properly fit with racing, without knocking him around too much."

White Arrow was not ready for a likely searching assignment in the Kaikoura Cup and Higgs had already given the NZ Cup away, not making the last payment, before he raced at Addington on November 3 where he got home almost as well as Flashing Red and Howard Bromac after being last at the half (55.5, 27.5) and finishing a little over three lengths from the winner.

"We reached a point where we could have busted his gut trying to get a Cup start, but it could have undone all the good work we have put in all year. We felt it was best to back off a bit and consider the best long term interests of the horse. It has only been the last week or two that he has been truly cleared to race by the vet. This is a genuine Grand Circuit horse, he is not going to be just a battler at that level."

The latter comment was hard to disagree with after White Arrow overcame the outside of the second line in the mobile 1950m to score in a 1:56.6 mile rate over Likmesiah and Badlands Bute, who were both on the ballot for the Cup. With Higgs free-wheeling in front with speedster Man With The Money, Todd Woodward was on the move from five-back on the outer a lap out; White Arrow took up the running passing the half and went on to fight off Badlands Bute on the outer and Likmesiah's late charge along the inner. "It was in nobody's best interests to try to keep White Arrow wide when he came around, and having burned early, it was only a matter of time before Man With The Money was going to run out of gas anyway."

For both Woodward and Higgs, who races White Arrow with his sister Elaine and Dunedin's Russell Nieper, it was their first wins on Cup Day. Nieper also races Highview Badlands and promising sorts in Radar Installed and trotter Sunshine Boy, all trained by Jim Curtin. "It's just great to have him back. He is the stable star and as long as he is going well, the rest can all be running last and you'd still feel like you're going okay."



Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 16Nov06

Lyell Creek's farewell at Alexandra Park

Respect comes on many levels.

A great horse might be worthy of a very public farewell, like Lyell Creek was granted at Alexandra Park last Friday (6 May 2005). A truly great one, a people's champion, may even be so important to his industry that the TAB will cancel a race and make a 10 minute window on Trackside just so people can watch that farewell. And the rarest of horses may be good enough to convince the Auckland Trotting Club to change one of their premier public areas from being the Lordship Lounge to the Lyell Creek Lounge, as they did last Friday.

But when you are the best, the only $3 million standardbred ever born in Australasia, you deserve something even more special than that. And Lyell Creek has been offered that something special, the highest honour the ATC can bestow on a horse. "We want him to be buried here one day," said ATC President Sid Holloway.

Now that doesn't sound like a lot of fun for Lyell, who considering his longevity on the racetrack probably has desires to live another 20 years. But when he is eventually called to the great barn in the sky the ATC want Lyell Creek's remains to be buried at Alexandra Park alongside perhaps the only NZ standardbred who can be mentioned in the same breath: Cardigan Bay.

"We would one day love to honour Lyell Creek by building a memorial to him here alongside Cardigan Bay, so our two greatest harness horses can be side by side. We have made that offer to his connections as well."

Whether Lyell Creek eventually joins Cardigan Bay is hopefully a question for decades from now, but what is sure is that we won't see his like again for a long time.

How can we expect to see another pacing-bred son of a siring flop go on to become our richest ever trotter? Or even begin to believe a horse who never raced in the age groups could one day take on the best in the world and become a 1:51 trotter? To expect any horse in the future to be able to overcome a 55m handicap in a Group 1 race or win our two biggest trots after spending three years out of the country would be farcical. So don't bother waiting for another Lyell. He ain't coming.

All we can do is remember a remarkable last six years.

Years that contained two enormous winning streaks, three Dominions and three Rowe Cups, the richest ever Inter-Dominion Trot Final, and one of Addington's greatest ever upsets. We can remember how amazed we all were when Lyell Creek became our first millionaire trotter, then doubled that, and depending on what exchange rates you use, tripled it. We can remember the rarity of seeing a horse on the network news, a standardbred being partially syndicated while he was still racing. What about the dramas of owner Graham Bruton, who started at the bottom, rocketed to the top, crashed to the bottom again but then still, came out a long way on top. And how about those winter Sunday mornings watching Lyell taking on the best live on Trackside from the Meadowlands, racing that opened our eyes and filled out racing pages.

But most importantly of all, Lyell gave us hope. To every owner of a battling baby trotter who doesn't look capable of making it, to every breeder who can't afford to go to Christian Cullen or Muscles Yankee. To those who battle and dream, Lyell Creek is the hero harness racing needed.

His is a story so incredible somebody should write a book about it. The only problem is, watching Lyell walk of Alexandra Park for the final time last Friday night, his story is almost to good to be true.



Credit: Michael Guerin writing in HR Weekly

January 6: Kaikoura TC holds a race meeting at Addington.
February 24: Reefton TC holds a race meeting at Addington to replace its meeting abandoned on December 30 2004.
November 18: Mainland Banner becomes the first 4 year old mare to win the NZ Cup.

PEOPLE

GEORGE SHAND - Trainer & Driver

George Shand had his last drive on the unplaced Eastwood Jaunty in the Green Mile at Methven on Sunday. "I just haven't been too good health-wise and decided to stand down," Shand said.

He trained and drove Eastwood Jaunty to win the inaugural Green Mile in 2000. The gelding has contested the six Green Miles. He finished second to Bruzem in 2001 and third to Oaxaca Lass and Niobium in 2002. Eastwood Jaunty has won 13 races including the 2003 Methven Cup.

Shand, who turns 76 on Friday, drove 373 winners including Satyr who won the main race, the McCloy Memorial Handicap, at Methven in 1960. He drove his first winner, Lochella, at Wanganui in October, 1951. Lochella was trained by his father-in-law, Peter Gallagher.

"One of the highlights was winning the Ashburton Flying Stakes with Mighty Gay. I always had a soft spot for the horse," Shand said. "Another was winning a race in Australia (at Mildura) with Eastwood Jaunty."

Mighty Gay won the Flying Stakes in 1976. Shand trained and drove Borana to win the Forbury and Oamaru Juvenile Stakes in the early 1980s.

Credit: Tayler Strong writing in HRWeekly 14Dec05

PEOPLE

MURRAY BUTT - Horseman

Canterbury's close-knit harness racing industry farewelled one of its favourite sons on Saturday. Murray Butt's public funeral was held at the Templeton Community Centre, near Christchurch, at 12noon. Butt, aged 59, died suddenly and unexpectedly at his Templeton property, Oriole Lodge, on Tuesday 6 December.

The Canterbury harness racing community was rocked by the sad and unscheduled circumstances of his passing. Many are struggling to come to grips with his untimely death. Acclaimed as a modest and unassuming personality, he invariably created the impression he wanted to get along well with as many people as possible. He was very good at it.

A warm humoured and agreeable individual, he shunned conflict and criticism and invariably demonstrated acceptable gentlemanly ways that endeared him to all he knew. He was once described by a respected contemporary as "unflappable and always the same.''

His marriage to Jennifer Jones, a daughter of industry legend Derek Jones MNZM, in April 1965 was to forge an alliance of two of Canterbury's famous sporting and harness racing families that has exerted profound influences on the growth and recognition of the industry in New Zealand.

All three of their sons, Tim, Anthony and Roddy have enjoyed huge success and their only daughter Chrissie is married to prominent trainer Cran Dalgety. It would be superfluous to list the prolific feats with horses of their three sons who are industry household names.

But a special spot, of course, will always be reserved for the likes of champion trotters Lyell Creek and Take A Moment and pacers Mister D G, Happy Asset and Blossom Lady (trained by Derek Jones) and Justaboyden and Judicial who were major Perth winners for Roddy. Anthony was regular driver of Blossom Lady (two A G Hunter Cups and a NZ Cup).Anthony and Roddy were the first drivers to win dual Australasian Junior Driving Championships.

Murray Butt was a son of the late Wes Butt, New Zealand's leading trainer on seven occasions between 1945 and 1962. Wes also topped the national drivers' premiership in 1945-46 and 1952-53. Murray's father-in-law Derek Jones twice won the trainers' premiership in 1965 and 1969 in partnership with Jack Grant (late) and is one of only three New Zealand trainers to top 1000 wins (1011), the others being Cecil Donald (late) and Roy Purdon. Murray's brother Robin of Preston Farm, West Melton, was also a household name in harness racing as the trainer and/or driver of Locarno (Miracle Mile), Camelot (NZ Cup) and classic winner City Rogue. Murray's nephew David Butt (son of Robin) topped the 2003-2004 trainers' premiership in partnership with his wife Catherine.

Murray first met his wife Jennifer at Templeton Primary School before Murray spent the 1960-62 period as a boarder at St Andrews College in Christchurch. "And, when I came out of St Andrews, there was Jenny waiting for me," Murray recently quipped to the writer. The young couple got away to a flying start in life with the winnings of champion filly Golden Oriole who was raced by Murray and trained by his father. After she won her first race, Murray exercised a right of purchase (450 pounds) on the filly he leased from Jim Dalgety. Golden Oriole won about £9000 at a time when a pound was a pound and was later sold to clients of USA horseman Eddie Cobb for the equivalent of about $40,000 as a 5-Year-Old. Golden Oriole won 10 races in New Zealand and was champion 2-Year-Old of her year when she won the NZ Sapling Stakes, one of four straight wins in that campaign.The daughter of Local Light won the Great Northern Derby at three. Murray's father Wes was not only the trainer but also the "Responsible Person'' in terms of ownership legalities as Murray was technically too young to assume any ownership role. Golden Oriole was no slug in open ranks before her sale overseas. She beat the mighty Lordship in a feature Addington sprint.

Funds from Golden Oriole's sale to USA assisted Murray and his wife to set up the Oriole Stud that they operated during the years 1968-1983. Sires they stood at the property included Good Time Eden, Tartan Hanover, Gentry, Scrappy Wave, Crockett, Pacific Hanover, Leading Light and Valerian. Dual gaited Crockett, sire of standouts Bronze Trail and Sprockett, was probably the pick of the sires they stood.

Murray gained his first success as a trainer with Countaway on January 10, 1973. He actually prepared a small team of six horses while mixing stud duties with that pursuit. Game Nian (eight wins) was a capable trotter for him. As a driver, he posted two notable wins with talented pacer Golden Moose in the Kaikoura Cup and the 1985 NZ Firestone FFA, the second leg of the TAB double on Cup Day. His brother in law Peter Jones won the first leg, the NZ Cup, with outsider Borana.

Murray was a former president of the NZ Harness Racing Trainers and Drivers' Association that he represented for three years at HRNZ Executive level before standing down three years ago. He was also the president of the Canterbury branch for five years (1990-1995). Murray Butt enjoyed helping his son Tim at his showplace training establishment where he also took a close interest in horses part owned by his wife Jennifer in trotters Genius and Lotsa Speed this season and another grand trotter in Noam in 2001 and 2002. Noam later raced with distinction when sold overseas. Viewfinder, Keep Up, Night Hawk, Peeping Tom, Success, Marmoose and Roimata Lad were only some winners Murray trained earlier in his career. The Sniper, Red Tip Governor, Cracker Nova, All Talk, Bizness, Bolaz and Bestoranum were a handful of useful outside drives he was associated with. Murray Butt and his wife enjoyed several overseas trips to follow the success of their sons.

The couple eventually subdivided half of their original 100 acre block of land and they bought the late Wes Butt's 16-acre Mankind Lodge complex at Templeton where the couple built a 20-bay all weather golf driving range in 1995. They operated the venture themselves for a year before leasing it out.

Murray and Jenny Butt were seemingly inseparable companions at Canterbury harness racing fixtures and also at Auckland and overseas raceways. They derived much genuine pride in the success of their children in harness racing and invariably accepted it modestly and graciously. The couple's numerous grandchildren were also a source of much warmth and enjoyment. Murray and Jenny Butt's combined act will be difficult to follow.

Credit: Don Wright

INTERDOMINIONS

2005 INTERDOMINION SERIES

The carnival was held at Alexandra Park in Auckland. The Pacers Final was won by Elsu and the Trotters Final by Play On.

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Meredith Wilson presents the Cup to Margaret Gibson

Pompallier has the high ground as New Zealand's best trotter after a handsome win in the $100,000 Southern Trust Dominion Handicap.

But there in one getting the same view. Jasmyn's Gift ran the race of her life to finish third, behind Major Decision, after a break that cost her 50 or 60 metres but probably more. She would have given Pompallier an awful scare had she stepped and been part of the bunch. She caught them at the 1800m, and went forward almost immediately.

Colin De Filippi, who had replaced Brosnan in the sulky at the suggestion of the owners, was well placed four-back on the outer, but left that cover and took the lead off Major Decision at he 1200m. From there, Pompallier was on a winning rein. Jasmyn's Gift produced not the run of the race but the run of the meeting. But ability is little comfort without manners, and they stood to Pompallier and Major Decision.

Brosnan was not dismayed when the decision was made by part-owners Margaret Gibson and his wife Julija after Pompallier's Show Day sixth to see if De Filippi would handle the horse. He needed to be released from Paris Metro, which John Parsons happily agreed to. Brosnan and De Filippi have combined before, De Filippi winning with Trojan while Brosnan was still in South Canterbury and with Gee Sixty Eight since he's been in the north. The Brosnans, Margaret and her husband Noel have been neighbours for many years, the Gibsons having bought the adjacent property when they originally settled at Ardmore.

Pompallier was bred by the Brosnans after buying Armbro Gold, who was one of a number of horses advertised by John Curtin in a dispersal sale. She was a winning Armbro Del mare from the family of Local Light, and she'd been breeding by the time the Brosnans got her. "I'd had a good run with Castle Derg, Kilat and Jenlight who were all by Local Light, so that was a factor. And as she was related to Best Bets, who was a very good trotter for Eddie Cowie," he said.

Sent to Tricky Dick, Armbro Gold left Baltic Flight, the dam of Inter-Dominion Grand Final winner, Baltic Eagle, which the Brosnans sold after two starts for a fourth and a first. Since leaving Pompallier to Sundon, Armbro Gold has left him a sister, seven years younger, and is grazing at Carl Middleton's. She is 27 and perhaps past breeding successfully again, but Brosnan said "we might give her one more go".

Brosnan says Pompallier is an easy horse to work with, but he's "useless" if he gets fired up. "I always work him on his own. It's a privilege to have a horse like this. Along with No Response, he's the best horse I've had," he said.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Badlands Bute

The list of credits behind the win of Badlands Bute in the $100,000 Christian Cullen New Zealand Derby at Addington is long and versatile.

To start with, there is Danny Boyle, the bustling PR operator for Nevele R Stud who bred the colt in partnership with his brother-in-law Ron Stewart and Tim Mills, Chief Executive of the Canterbury Jockey Club. Next comes Badlands Hanover, the sire they matched with their Nero's B B mare Te Phyno, to leave Badlands Bute.

He is seen at the 2003 Inter-Dominion Yearling Sale by John Street and Graeme Blackburn, principals of Lincoln Farms Ltd, who paid the trio $33,000. They then graciously leave him in the care of Ray Green and Robert Mitchell after Ray Norton retired, when they could have easily taken the hand of caution by sending the promising youngster to a stable of greater renown. And it was wrapped up by a steady drive from Tony Herlihy, who knew the key to Badlands Bute winning depended upon the use of his lethal sprint inside the last 200 metres.

Badlands Bute is one of Badlands Hanover's first crop and was, in fact, his first siring success in New Zealand, winning at two in February last year. He was a Norton horse at first, and it was no secret he was one of the best amongst the yearlings handled at the time. The retirement of Norton turned the spotlight on Mitchell and Green, two of the 'boys' who suddenly had the job of making decisions, not taking them. With the exception in particular of Attorney General, Street and Blackburn said the rest of the team was theirs and the operation was over to them. Were they lucky to keep Badlands Bute? "We kept him hidden, but we all knew how good he was. We really wanted to keep this particular horse. We said they would do us a favour if he stayed, and they honoured that," said Green.

Both were well experienced horsemen. Mitchell had been a Norton 'lad' since 1978, and Green was working with horses when he was 17 and recalled being with Peter Wolfenden at the time he had Cardigan Bay. "I was his best boy," Green says.

In any event, they welcomed the chance to manage Lincoln Farm's classy team when the opportunity came, and with two derbies won already - Badlands Bute having also taken the Great Northern - they can feel well satisfied at being put to the test, and passing it. They have a team of 30, the oldest being four, and 10 of them yearlings. Nine of them came from the PGG sales, including three by Badlands Hanover, two by Presidential Ball and two by Artiscape. "Our operation is heavily subsidised. We have six on the staff - Shane Smith, John and Bruce Bedwell, Terry Fletcher, Ned Jelicich and Paul Curran, who will be heading back to Canada soon. It's a luxury, the way we do it. I know Ray would be very proud of both of us," Green said.

Badlands Bute, whose next start will be in the New South Wales Derby - where runner-up Baileys Dream is also heading - gave the partners mild concern when Herlihy began the last lap three-deep, following Baileys Dream and Ewie Duncan. "I was a bit worried that we'd cooked our goose at that point. But then he's deadly with a late sprint. That's his forte," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in the NZHR Weekly

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Mainland Banner & Ricky May head for the judge

There was an incredible amount of hype leading into last Friday night's $100,000 Wayne Francis Memorial NZ Oaks, as it was the first showdown between the undefeated Mainland Banner and arch rival Foreal, herself winner of 13 from 16 starts.

When Foreal drew two and Mainland Banner landed 15, the odds seemed very much in the former's favour. But with the horse drawing inside Foreal being an emergency for the event, her automatic scratching moved Foreal into one and changed the whole complexion of the race. Driver Anthony Butt no longer had options, needing to secure the lead no matter what to avoid him and Foreal getting buried back on the fence. And he had three goes at it too...firstly at the start when Robyn Blue matched them for early speed, once again soon afterwards after that rival had crossed them, and a third time down the back straight when he pulled out of the trail behind Nick Off Holme. The latter had zipped around with purpose just before the bell and been allowed to go to the front, but the damage to Foreal had been done by then; a lead time of 1:13, Mainland Banner sitting back in the pack having not spent a penny, surely it was only a matter of time before she pounced.

Back where he and Mainland Banner were sitting, Ricky May knew that part of the plan was working - but some parts of it weren't, either. He'd thought two or three times about moving but nothing pulled out to give Mainland Banner cover on the way round, so in the end he hooked out starting the last lap and got stuck behind a runner that was sitting three-wide and going no-where. Playing the waiting game as long as he could, May finally decided it was time to go wider passing the 600m mark, and with a slap of the reins Mainland Banner inched forward. Rounding the turn she was fair travelling, and in the twinkling of an eye she simply changed down a gear and zoomed away. Molly Darling burst out of the pack to get within a length and a quarter, but nothing was going to deny Mainland Banner her moment and she stopped the clock in a breathtaking 1:58.8 mile rate.

She might float like a butterfly, but she certainly stings like a bee. Afterwards, May could do little more than shake his head. "She just did that herself," he said. "She had absolutely no favours out there tonight; I knew by the time we settled down we were going to be twenty lengths off them, and we were. But she's such a stunning filly - she's just so good that anyone could drive her." May then went on to say things that no-one thought they'd hear any driver admit... "She feels better than her father, and I know that's a big call. But she feels better-gaited than Christian Cullen, because he used to go a bit rough at times. She wears a sixty-three inch hopple, no shorteners and no knee boots... she's just the most nicely-gaited horse you could ever drive. And that run won't knock her either. If anything she'll come back better next week."

'Next week' is this Friday night's $100,000 Nevele R Fillies' Final, and after such a performance Mainland Banner will be all the rage to extend her unbeaten streak to eight.

There in the background, as he was throughout the night last week, will be former owner Ian Sowden. Sowden is the Ashburton horseman who purchased Mainland Banner off Dennis and Dianne Moore at the Premier Yearling Sale before on-selling her to Ian Dobson 21 months later. And even though he no longer owns the vehicle, he's never stopped enjoying the ride. "She's still a part of me," he said. "I've never missed being on-course when she races, and I spent all night down at the box with her tonight. I remember when she won at Invercargill, they had to come and find me to get her to pass urine. They'd been trying for over an hour, but after I got there she did it within a couple of minutes. No, I'm just getting a hell of a kick out of seeing her race."

Sowden says despite the fact that he sold Mainland Banner last November, he "could write a book" about the filly. The opening chapter would undoubtedly be about how he'd never intended to buy her in the first place, showing up at the Sales with his eye on something else. "That was a Spirit of Zeus colt, but I didn't like it when I saw it. I'd brought the horse float with me, so I thought I may as well take something home in it. And then this Christian Cullen filly came into the ring. She was nice and wide in front and had big ears, and they'd been hammering away at $5,000 for ages before I put my finger up and got her for $7,000.

Sowden showed remarkable patience with Mainland Banner early on, taking her back to the workouts again and again for more and more practise. "Right from the first day I put her in the cart she was clever, and relaxed. It was quite incredible," he said. "She's one of those horses that just kept improving every day - you never had to go back and do anything all over again."

It's all been quite a ride since trainer Robert Dunn took over as well...an unofficial record at the trials; seven starts without even looking like getting beaten; $111,824 in the bank so far. "She's very exciting," he said. Dunn says that last week's clash between Mainland Banner and Foreal obviously caught the public's imagination very early on. "I don't think I've ever trained a horse leading up to a race where there's been so much hype from such a long way out. I mean, during Master Musician's era there were like eight millionaires. And the only other time I've experienced that one-on-one hype was when he took on (and beat) Jack Morris in the Victoria Cup."

Dunn says he wasn't "cock-a-hoop" confident leading into last Friday's event, having immense respect for Foreal among others, but despite where she drew he also knew what his filly was capable of. "All those times when you see horses run fifty-five halves, they're only at top speed for about fifty metres of that; this filly can carry that speed for a lot, lot longer. I think she could be a freak," he said.

Credit: John Robinson writing in the NZHR Weekly

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Robert Dunn & Ian Dobson celebrate

No-one told Mainland Banner the magnitude of the mission. If they did, she didn't hear. No-one told her she was a girl in a male domain. Not being sexist, she didn't care. No-one told her she was running further than she had before. Knowing she could just keep on keeping on, she knew it wouldn't matter. And, with the magnificent Christchurch Casino sign beckoning in the distance and just 20 seconds away, Mainland Banner hoisted full sail and let rip.

She quickly collared the uncomfortable Mi Muchacho who was holding on by heart alone, and put a goodbye break on the bunch. Wider out, Just An Excuse worked home strongly after settling handy at the 1600m, beaten for second by Alta Serena, who dashed home after being held up to a minor extent on the turn. Then came Bobs Blue Boy.

How did Mainland Banner become the youngest mare to win the $400,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Trotting Cup? No-one better to give us a match report than driver, Ricky May. "I was a wee bit nervous before the race, because of all the hype she was getting. All New Zealand must have been talking about it. But the good thing was that Robert (Dunn) left the race completely to me. She was a wee bit keen in the preliminary, and didn't make that good a beginning. It must have cost her two or three lengths, and she felt like she didn't quite know what to do. She just wasn't concentrating."

May, who had won the race with Inky Lord in 1989, and Iraklis in 1997, settled her five places back on the outer, with the early line ahead being Likmesiah, Jackson Browne, Bobs Blue Boy and Howard Bromac. He sat until the day-trippers had gone round, and left on his own just before the mile. He didn't hurry and none came after them.

"I had to chase her up to get round them." Before the post a lap out, he was second and happy. "I knew she could win sitting parked from there. On the corner I still had a good hold on her, and when she heard the other horse start coming on the outside, I could feel her surge again," he said. The curtain fell with Mainland Banner home by a length and a quarter in 4:04. She wrecked the hopes of the sprinters by running her last quarter in 26.9.

May was in head shaking form after getting the job done. "It was a great training feat...she's phenomenal...she's an incredible horse...there are no words to describe it, and she still doesn't know how to race." And to his credit, he openly wondered about the target when he first heard about it. "I wasn't that keen on it when I first knew that it was on. I'd seen Happy Sunrise go through the same thing when he'd just a few more starts, and he didn't handle it. I knew she could do it, but I thought it was just a year too soon," he said.

With the game plan underway, May put his weight behind it. If he needed comfort, it came last week when down-the-road trainer Cran Dalgety told him Mainland Banner worked "sensationally" on his track. No-one told her Ricky May knew then that she could complete the mission.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HR Weekly