Racing: Aussie raider gives the locals a towelling

Sister Havana scooting clear in the Karaka Million at Ellerslie yesterday. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Sister Havana guaranteed extra Australian dollars would be left behind at Karaka over the next four days when she blew the locals off Ellerslie last night.

Her $1 million Karaka Million win was as complete as it could have been.

Much of that was attributable to a magnificent rider by Queensland jockey Stathi Katsidis.

And to the horsemanship of trainer Liam Birchley.

Birchley prepared Sister Havana - by General Nediym from a Canny Lad mare and a relatively cheap $40,000 buy at Karaka last year - so well that she not only shone in the pre-race parade, she was still shining 30 minutes later.

This was not so much about an Australian coming over and raping and pillaging as it was Birchley coming back to his second home.

As countless locals shook his hand as the field returned, Birchley said:

"I've got a lot of friends here. I spent two years at Trelawney Stud at the time of the last yearling sale at Trentham, so I know New Zealand well."

Stathi Katsidis has been reborn.

He has spent much of the past two years sidelined with injury and suspensions and disqualification for off-track incidents.

Since returning he has won the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast on Military Rose and now the Karaka Million.

He says he's not the person he was two years ago.

"I probably always knew I was one of the best jockeys in Australia and New Zealand.

"But my dedication was not what it probably should have been.

"Now I'm totally dedicated to getting my weight down as low as I can get it and if you do that the winners start to come in."

Birchley gave Katsidis no instructions. "I told him it was a blank page. You don't need to give Stathi instructions - he's a genius. He's the only bloke I wanted to bring over and thankfully he agreed.

"He could pull a rabbit out of a hat, this bloke."

Katsidis said the way the race unfolded surprised him.

"I thought I'd be contesting for the lead. I told Liam that I thought she might race keenly, but she relaxed completely. So much so that she was off the bit the whole way."

Katsidis allowed Sister Havana to relax when she landed and found himself three back on the rail. Not bustling her was the key to winning.

"I slapped her up at the 500m and she picked up the bit.

"It was then just a matter of getting a gap in the home straight."

Birchley did some of learning off one of the best, the now-retired Brian Mayfield Smith, after which he went to the United States for a year. Sister Havana put nearly two lengths on Icepin and Banchee ran on strongly to take third after tailing the field to the 600m.

Everlasting was a sound fourth just ahead of Irish Jewel.

Well-fancied Big River finished eighth and returned with blood pouring out of his nose.

"He smacked his head on the side of the starting gates and has ruptured a vein somewhere," said part owner, Singapore-based Laurie Laxon.

"She could be an Oaks filly," said John Sargent as he struck the first Karaka Million racenight blow with Sirani yesterday.

No one was prepared to argue with Sargent after Sirani came from the tail of the field to bury a field of older staying rivals. The high-priced yearling purchase was having just her fourth race start.

Physically there is not a lot of Sirani, but the heart must be pretty big.

"Terrific effort," said rider Mark Du Plessis, who started to ease Sirani down close to the finish, so fast had she attacked the leaders in the closing stages.

Sneetch, the dam of Sirani, left Gussy Godiva, the dam of Rios and Bart Cumming's AJC Derby winner Roman Emperor.

Fazzle, winner of race two last night, is probably not heading to the Oaks. "I think we might be running out of time," said trainer Moira Murdoch.

That might be a shame - Fazzle showed she has group one potential.

The home-straight sprint she turned on from the tail of the field on the home bend was phenomenal.

It didn't surprise Moira Murdoch. "She can really boogie when she finds a gap. She's got a fabulous temperament and, obviously, a wonderful turn of foot. The biggest problem with her is that she's dumb yet. She's green and goofy."

James McDonald was impressed with Fazzle.

"I'm pleased that one got home after missing the jump in the first race," said a relieved McDonald.

He was referring to being slow by for lengths on the first race favourite Elbaz, who came from last to finish a terrific second.