Racing: Boom colt pipped but ready for big time

This was the perfect result.

Kristov, the horse you love to see winning, getting his group one victory, and Darci Brahma showing he was ready for a million-dollar campaign.

Sure, if you were a punter chasing the Pick6 you would have been disappointed with the tactics on Darci Brahma, dropping back and storming home late.

But there were reasons he was ridden that way and trainer Mark Walker was not backing down and admitting they were wrong yesterday.

"Michael [Walker] and I inspected the track half an hour before the race and the inside of the track was definitely not the place to be.

"We decided to ride him a little cold rather than track Kristov. If Darci had done that he may have been committed to an inside run in the home straight and we didn't want that.

"Sure, he probably should have been one place forward of where he was, but that was dictated by a couple of horses ahead of him and, anyway, that's a split-second decision.

"Hindsight is a marvellous thing."

Mid-race you could predict Darci Brahma was almost certainly not going to pick up Kristov.

Kristov may not be the best horse in New Zealand, but he's the most loved and also the greatest heart-breaker of other horses.

His ability to relax off a high cruising speed - which he did with remarkable effect on Saturday - meant he had all his petrol left for the 600m sprint Jason Waddell was always going to unleash on the opposition.

Waddell walked the Te Rapa track on Friday with Paul Jenkins, trainer of Waddell's group one Whakanui ride Bazelle, and carefully marked out where he wanted to be with his Saturday rides.

It won for Waddell the 1600m PQ with Korau Road, who had not found his true form in four starts over this campaign.

"There is a crown on the track of two horse widths, out three or four widths out from the rail," said Waddell after leading throughout on that exact piece of turf on Korau Road.

The Matamata horseman knew Kristov would be treading the same blades of grass later in the day.

And he trod them magnificently.

When Waddell gave the"go" signal on Kristov at the 600m, Darci Brahma was six or seven lengths away.

The timing of the last 600m of that race, and a few others on the programme, told the story.

The 600m marker at Te Rapa is on the outside running rail and may not be exact in distance when timing horses on the inside, but the relativity is accurate. The time suggests that from that angle the distance is slightly longer than 600m.

Kristov ran that distance in 35.36 and Darci Brahma in 34.73.

Others on the day were: Congrats 36.12, Korau Road 36.44, Shikoba 36.52, Pentane, in coming from last into second, 37.19 and impressive winner of the final race, Sweet Caroline 36.78.

The finish told you Kristov, remarkably, has never been better in his career and that Darci Brahma is every bit as good, if not better, than during his last dazzling campaign.

Mark Walker said yesterday that Darci Brahma had come through the hard race very well.

"We had no choice but to take the long-term view of his campaign. The mile at Flemington [for the A$1m Cadbury Guineas] will be his friend."

Michael Walker would clearly loved to have won with Darci Brahma, but similarly took the philosophical view.

"He's the best horse I have ridden and he'll prove it."

This was the finest moment for Kristov's part-owner and trainer Phillip Stevens, a highly respected pre-trainer, who does work for Te Akau and handled Darci Brahma in part of his early education.

You could understand the sweaty handshake - Phillips went through a tough 10 or 12 seconds from the 200m when he saw Darci Brahma charging home at Kristov.

Kristov's marvellous record of 13 wins and 25 placings from just 42 starts means he has eliminated himself from handicap racing and his next start will be once again facing Darci Brahma in the $100,000 Otaki Maori Weight-For-Age at Otaki on February 25.

Group one racing brings out the best in horses and Gee I Jane fought with great heart to finish third, right alongside Darci Brahma after fighting rider Vinny Colgan for much of the race.

GROUP WINNERS

* Kristov in the group one Waikato Draught Sprint (1400m), ahead of boom colt Darci Brahma.

* Darci Brahma has an Australian campaign planned.

* Snazzy took the group one Whakanui Stud International Stakes (2000m).

* Second-placed Tusker never gave up fighting.

* Shikoba added the group two Sir Tristram Fillies Classic to her portfolio.