Racing: Calveen camp to assess her future

It was confirmed yesterday that Calveen has been re-leased to the syndicate that races her.

Auckland Racing Club chairman Lyn Stevens, John Ede and Bill Wilson will be signed on as lessees for a further year by Calveen's owner, Auckland breeder Don McLaren, it was agreed yesterday afternoon.

The trio had Calveen on lease only until July 31 - their racing interest effectively ending with the mare's gritty win in Saturday's $100,000 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa, her last race before a winter spell.

The owners had a meeting at Te Rapa on Saturday, but in the excitement of the Travis victory, little could be decided.

There are other decisions to be made now that it has been declared Calveen will race for at least one further season.

Decisions like where the high-class valuable mare will be trained, in Australia or New Zealand.

It would be a major disappointment to Lance O'Sullivan to lose Calveen after taking her to one group one and two group two successes in his maiden training season.

But even before Calveen had returned to the Te Rapa birdcage on Saturday, O'Sullivan was expressing his resignation that this could be the end of his association with his stable star.

"Whatever we do with her, it has to be in the mare's best interest," said Lyn Stevens. "We have to be conscious that Don is a breeder and black type is important and at this point it would be ideal to add Australian black type to her record.

"We have to look at a range of options, one of them being that she is trained in Australia. She deserves her chance at Australian group one racing.

"We are very conscious of the wonderful job Lance has done with the mare and, of course, we will be consulting with him before we make any decisions.

"We genuinely haven't made any decisions yet."

Big races in Australia are won with driving finishes and that is the area where Calveen shines. On her form this late summer and autumn, she will not be out of a place in Australian group races.

O'Sullivan has copped a little flak for his conservative comments about the possibility of Calveen being slightly over the top for her last two starts and although part of that is O'Sullivan's natural personality, on Saturday he was right.

Calveen was unable to produce her natural brilliant burst in the Travis and had to resort to the back-up - her heart. Instead of sprinting quickly at the 300m, Calveen started a grinding finish which continued to gain momentum to such a degree that she still looked to be accelerating at the finish.

But make no mistake, she did it on heart alone, as only good horses can do.

"I had to really get at her," said rider Cameron Lammas. "But she got going and won comfortably."

Don McLaren considers himself extremely lucky. He had Calveen entered for the Sydney Easter sales as a yearling, but she split a hoof and stayed home.

Group one-winning broodmares with a half decent pedigree are impossible to buy and McLaren will eventually have one in his back paddock.

It's the same paddock Calveen will be heading to tomorrow for a spell of at least six weeks.

She has steadily improved her ringcraft and as a five-year-old next season she should be at her career best form.

McLaren also bred runner-up Prize Lady, who did well to stick on for second in what was her first start since her second to Justa Tad in the Oaks at Trentham in January.

Filey was equally gallant in finishing third, the disappointment being Rapid Kay (6th).

Travis Stakes

* Calveen did it again, digging in hard after looking to be under pressure.

* Three of her owners were told yesterday they can renew their lease for a further 12 months.

* It has yet to be decided if Lance O'Sullivan will continue to train Calveen.