By MIKE DILLON
Bill Wills says he wouldn't be married to Hello Dolly for quids.
"She's the grumpiest thing you would ever find," said the 73-year-old Waikato horseman after Hello Dolly destroyed some outstanding equine talent in Saturday's $120,000 Glenmorgan Challenge Stakes at Hastings.
Wills knew he had his perpetually underrated mare right at her best when she wanted to kick everything in sight on Saturday.
"Man or beast, all she wanted to do was kick its eyes out and when she's like that I know she's going to do something special on the racetrack."
Hello Dolly won the Glenmorgan last year, but was still essentially neglected against the likes of Cent Home, Hail and Conquistar this time. Hail was a storming second a length away, with a 1/2 length to the favourite Cent Home.
Like Hello Dolly's talent, Wills' ability to get the mare right at the right time has been largely ignored.
For someone who trains one horse - or at the very most, two - Wills knows what he's doing.
He is one of those land-based horsemen on which New Zealand racing was founded, and of which, until recently, the industry had abundant numbers.
Sadly, these horsemen are a rapidly disappearing breed.
The likes of the late Tim Douglas, whose outstanding racing team was headed by Gold Heights and Battle Heights, are not being replaced.
With them will disappear a vein of true stockmanship which cannot be replaced simply by someone coming through the stable ranks.
Bill Wills has been many things, including a stock buyer and publican, and was brought up on a Waikato farm driving a team of horses for his father.
"We used to grow a lot of wheat. My father was a real oldtimer and he wouldn't have a tractor because he reckoned they were terrible things. So we had a team of horses instead and I drove them."
It might only ever be in his subconscious, but what Wills learned in those days about horses he will be using now with Hello Dolly.
Intuitive horsemanship is a precious commodity.
Wills admits he would have quit Hello Dolly at the end of last season's campaign had one of the high-profile studs wanted her.
Group one winning mares are hard to find, but Wills had not one offer for Hello Dolly.
"I've got a few horses here and I'm old and grumpy now and I don't need to breed from her. I felt she deserved to be at a good stud.
"I went through her pedigree the other day and at least five individual stallions have had their best racehorse from this family. I've won close to 40 races with the family."
When Wills started accelerating Hello Dolly's work this preparation he knew the decision to keep the mare was going to be a good one.
"I know she's seven now, but she's a lot better this time in - a lot stronger. She's exactly 18kg heavier than when she ran in the Glenmorgan last year. She has always had ability, but she was so weak when she was young it nearly drove me crazy.
"In those days she'd always give it a good shot, but it used to knock her around. It would take her three weeks to get over a race."
Wills has to decide whether he will breed from Hello Dolly, or run her in these same races next year.
The decision will be made after the $500,000 Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings in two weeks.
If he leans towards breeding from her, Hello Dolly will have her last race in the group one Fayette Park Prized Stakes at Trentham, which she won last year.
"If I decide to retire her I'll take her around to Patrick's [Sir Patrick Hogan] place."
It would be quite nice to see Wills' expertise with the mare stretch into next spring.
"I'm doing my best to stay alive and Dolly's doing her best to help me."
But the affection will never lead to marriage.
Racing: Grumpy Dolly chews up rivals
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