KEY POINTS:
Those Queen's Guards' horses must get well looked after.
If Steven Cooper cared for his charge the way he has cared for Spin Around then they'd never be left in doubt.
The lanky Englishman is a former member of the Queen's Mounted Cavalry and when he produced the former broken-down Hong Kong galloper Spin Around to win Saturday's $200,000 Eagle Technology Counties Cup at Ellerslie, he must have broken some sort of a record.
Spin Around, ridden by Gavin McKeon, had the first start of his current preparation as far back as February 17.
Okay, the horse has had a couple of micro breaks, but he has still raced in every month between February and November, and that included a trip to the National meeting at Riccarton in August.
To do all that with a horse that has not had soundness issues would be remarkable - to do it with one for whom suspensory ligament problems have been foremost is almost unbelievable.
Cooper has impressed with his dedication in the short time he has been in New Zealand, so has Spin Around, who won four races in Hong Kong before the suspensories pointed him towards the retirement paddock.
The footing on Saturday was almost perfect for Spin Around - not exactly a wet track after Friday night's rain, but with plenty of ease in it to cushion older legs.
"He's never shown any signs of a leg problem since he's been back, so fingers crossed," said Cooper on Saturday.
Spin Around had a few favours some of the others didn't get and it will get harder as the other big summer cups loom, but he's got the $200,000 first one in the bin.
* Trainer Peter McKay believes Vincent Mangano hasn't switched his mind properly to racing yet.
So with three from three it means he's likely to get pretty good when he does.
The good looking colt appeared to be goofing a bit as he narrowly won the $55,000 Murdoch Newell Stakes and was not entirely happy in the ground.
"The opposition is going to get better so he's going to have to get serious pretty quickly," said McKay after Vincent Mangano zig-zagged down the Ellerslie home straight.
What a heart Key Message has. After leading she refused to capitulate when Vincent Mangano loomed up and only a long neck separated them at the finish.
What a race the Karaka Million is going to be at Ellerslie in late January.
We've already seen enough talent to fill the field and there's plenty more waiting in the wings.
* Wayne Hillis is not one to get excited. But the Matamata trainer couldn't hide his delight when Sterling Prince got the money in the $35,000 Terry Ryan Timber.
If you didn't get the $10.40 divvy this time, don't hold your breath waiting for the same value again - he looks headed for the top.
"He's a good horse this," Hillis enthused.
The remarkable factor is that Sterling Prince is very tall and lanky and looks a fair way off his full maturity.
* Someone had a big bet on the fixed odds on Jumeriah Jade, winner of the fourth race, on Saturday.
Not only did they have a nervous time with a head-bobbing finish that had many guessing, once confirmed, the $7.90 result was the subject of a 15-minute protest that was eventually thrown out.
Co-trainer Grant Shaw would neither confirm nor deny that the bet was his.
* Don Sellwood has done a lot in horse racing, but he created a record for himself on Saturday - a quinella result in a stakes race.
Brianna's win in the $75,000 First Sovereign Trust Stakes set up a stable quinella with Imananabaa dead-heating for second with the favourite Crossyourheart.
Brianna has been sparingly raced - Saturday was just her 10th raceday appearance - and looks capable of winning an even bigger race this summer. So do the dead-heaters for second.
