Maiden Dashes: Dashes for cash key indicators to career

Trainer John Bary with filly Xcuses Xcuses and Krista Donnelly with gelding Lenin the Brown at Timoti Farm, Pakipaki, before today's dash for cash in Hastings. Photo/Warren Buckland

You may not have heard about them, let alone seen them so it might as well be a script on characters for a sequel from the Alien film series.

"It's all part of the unknown," says Hastings trainer John Bary before the "industry-type" gallops race meeting in Hastings today for "entry-level horses".

But just as minor roles can lead to big-time stints for budding actors, these 2-year-olds have the potential to emulate the feat of champion horses such as home-grown Jimmy Choux, Sacred Falls and Darci Brahma who went on to foot it up to Australian level.

In fact, Bary sponsors the first two 800m, $7000 Maiden Dashes but do not mistake that for the champion trainer boarding a flight to an ego trip.

"I'm just happy not to sponsor it but it's just about helping the club and putting the horses on a career path so I couldn't care less if my name is on it or not.

"They are pretty much a dash for cash," Bary said.

Hawke's Bay Racing CEO Jason Fleming said it was an ideal pathway to the classic 3-year-old season from August 1 for 2-year-olds who are eligible to race this spring.

"The Hawke's Bay Guineas on October 4 is one of them," Fleming said of the race, which is part of the JB Organics Spring Racing Carnival this year.

Bary has Lenin the Brown in race 1 at 11.25 from gate 2 and Xcuses Xcuses at 11.58 from gate 6 in fields of a dozen.

Lenin the Brown, a gelding by Savabeel, has had three starts finishing runner-up and third.

"He charged the gate in the other one, north of Matamata, so he was effectively a non-starter there," Bary said.

The progeny of one of the top stallions at a Waikato Stud, the "jet black, with character" horse will be in the Guineas, the last of the three spring carnival meetings, if he does well today.

Bary has a 50 per cent share while Bay real estate managing director Simon Tremain and friends hold the balance of ownership as part of a syndicate.

"I bought it [Lenin the Brown] at a Karaka yearling sale about one and a-half years ago.

"I saw him and liked him and he impressed me as a horse so I kept 50 per cent of the shares."

He said should the gelding find traction in his career, then selling him to recoup money to reinvest in the cycle would be on the cards. "He's a little bit of an unknown, like Jimmy Choux, with a little bit of speed ... and very versatile," he said of the stocky number.

Xcuses Xcuses is the first foal out of Xpectacular, a broodmare Bary co-owns with Bay businessman Ivan Grieve.

"She [Xpectacular] won on debut for me and looked very promising but, unfortunately, she broke her leg so she was retired to stud."

Xcuses Xcuses is also a speed merchant, finishing runner-up in her first outing by a nose but posting a slick time over 800m.

Her other finish was in fifth place but on a heavy track so Bary is much wiser on the filly's preference for turfs.

"She's top shelf. Ideally if she wins she'll end up at the Gold Trail Stakes [Windsor Park Plate] for 3-year-old fillies," he said, happy his horses have had some race experience before today.