Racing: Blaze of glory

Colin Jillings was a born survivor - just ask his bank manager.

In 1975 Jillings was battling to make a living as a professional horse trainer.

He had to constantly dodge his bank manager who wanted to discuss the "trend" of his account.

Jillings managed to avoid the dreaded meeting until after Sugartariat had raced in the 1975 Ellerslie Sires Stakes.

The reason was simple.

Jillings had a half-share in the two-year-old who effortlessly won the event in the hands of jockey Warwick Robinson.

The master trainer took home 60 per cent of the stake money won that day. Jillings received 10 per cent as the winning trainer and 50 per cent as an owner.

"I remember that win for a lot of reasons, more particularly because the bank manager was chasing after me and basically had me backed down into a corner," said Jillings.

"Sugartariat came from last to achieve victory at Ellerslie that day and it is fair to say that the meeting with the bank manager went very, very well.

"It's never easy trying to make a living out of training racehorses but that win was a massive financial boost for me back then in 1975."

The 2004 $500,000 New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie today will be the final occasion the master trainer saddles a runner to contest the Group One three-year-old event.

The Derby has become an event that Jillings plots to win with accuracy every year with runners from his Takanini stable.

He has won the Derby on five previous occasions.

Lawful (1958), Stipulate (1960), Uncle Remus (1977), I'm Henry (1983) and The Phantom Chance (1992) have carried Jillings' stable to glory at Ellerslie.

Jillings conditioned The Phantom Chance to win in 1992 alongside his current training partner Richard Yuill.

Now, after 54 years of training thoroughbreds, Jillings is bringing to a close a staggering career and it is fitting that the favourite for the 2004 Derby is the Jillings and Yuill-trained colt Cheval De Troy.

The $400,000 yearling has the initials CS freeze-branded on his left shoulder.

CS stands for Cambridge Stud, an equine tattoo that has been dominant over Southern Hemisphere racing.

"I've reached a point in my life that I just felt it was time to wind down my career in the horse racing industry, " said Jillings.

"I've always targeted the New Zealand Derby as a race I've wanted to win as a trainer and this year is the right occasion to sign off my training career.

"I began training aged 19 in 1950 and trained privately for a client because you had to be 21 to get a public trainer's licence.

"I work seven days of the week and it's something I've done from day one since I began training.

"I start work at 5am every day, except for Sunday when I start at 6am. I've dedicated my whole life to the racing industry and have been lucky enough to make a lot of friends throughout New Zealand and Australia.

"I may travel with Cheval De Troy to Australia next year if he does go to Sydney to race. But that decision will be have to be made by the owners."

Cheval De Troy brings some serious racing statistics with him to Ellerslie today that back his claims as Derby favourite and possibly the sixth Derby win for Jillings.

The Zabeel-sired colt is unbeaten in three starts at Ellerslie including a brutal 5 1/2-length thumping of age-group opposition in his last start in the Bonecrusher Stakes on December 12.

The massive-striding colt raced three wide for the opening 1200 metres of the event before securing a sit off the pace and accelerating effortlessly away over the closing 500 metres to win.

It was the display of a high-class equine athlete with both stamina and speed.

"The NZ Derby has been the main objective all season with Cheval De Troy and he's matured and handled everything thrown at him over the past month.

"He's bred to run out 2400 metres and in his last two starts over 2000 and 2100 metres he's shown the class to win a Derby."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY