Racing: Connections happy with Katie Lee

She Rules (outer) gets the better of Sanjeev at Ruakaka on Saturday. Katie Lee ran third. Photo / Supplied

Co-trainer Debbie Rogerson is more than satisfied with Katie Lee's first-up third at Ruakaka on Saturday.

The champion 3-year-old of the old season was beaten a short neck and 2 lengths by She Rules and Sanjeev.

"I might have had her a touch dour for the 1200m because I've had her ready for a 1200m race and pulled her out then got her ready for 1400m, which she also didn't go to.

"She might have just lost her freshness edge."

Rogerson said rider Opie Bosson was happy with the run.

"The track might have been just a bit worse than we'd thought it would be - it was probably closer to slow than dead.

"She's never won first up and she had a bit of a blow.

"She was briefly held up for a run in the straight and when she got out she wanted to quicken down, but couldn't in the ground."

A decision on when and where Katie Lee heads to Australia will be made in the next few days.

She Rules was impressive and Sanjeev showed he wasn't far away from winning.

She Rules shouldn't have a problem picking up pedigree black type for owners Whakanui Stud on Saturday's effort.

The wisdom of her trainer Brett McDonald and her owners to give her a couple of mid-winter races to prevent her putting on too much condition while spelling clearly showed in this victory.

John Morell deserves a good horse in the shape of stylish second-up winner Follow The Birds in the 3-year-old race. Follow The Birds beat a strong field and did it easily, despite showing a touch of greenness.

"Michael [Coleman] said he was a lot better this time than when he made his debut at Ruakaka in July," said Morell.

Morell has good success with a small team he trains part-time in Waikato, but believes he's had his share of bad luck.

"This bloke's dam Annalee is the best horse I've had but, boy, did we have some issues with her."

When Annalee injured herself she had a course of penicillin and on the third injection, had a reaction.

"She reared up, went over, got up and blind bolted through seven fences.

"When I finally got to her she had a hunk of pipe driven through her middle.

"It took us three months to patch her up and she got back to the races, but after finishing second to Hello Dolly in a PQ race at Trentham first race back we had more issues with her and had to retire her."

The mare left Yeah I Did, a winner and a brother to Follow The Birds, which had respiratory problems.

"A sister crushed her ribs while being foaled and we lost her and this bloke is the result of the return service Waikato Stud gave me.

"I would have loved to have had the sister to breed from."

Undisclosed finished strongly into second and Upsala made similar good ground for third.

Well-fancied The Diamond Duke was disappointing finishing fourth. He was slightly slow away from the inside barrier, settled last in the small field then raced keenly after 350m when he got close to the heels of the horse in front. The Diamond Duke was handy enough on the home bend, but only battled, in stark contrast to his sparkling close second to Ginga Dude at the Te Teko barrier trials.

"I thought he was disappointing," said trainer Shaune Ritchie.

"There are a couple of small reasons why he might have raced below his best, but I wouldn't call them excuses.

"His coat isn't quite there yet and as a big horse he might not have handled the sand-based track, but top-class horses overcome such things.

"There is improvement in him for sure, but I can't take him to the Hawkes Bay Guineas on that run, so where are we going to find a decent track outside of that race?"

Raceday experience was the key to Antonio Lombardo winning the juvenile race at Ruakaka.

He was the only one of the six runners to have raced, having chased stablemate Alvesta home at Wanganui the previous week.

Trainer Peter McKay has prepared the winners of both juvenile races so far held, maintaining a huge strike rate from previous seasons.

"I know it looked like I put this bloke in the nominations simply so the club would have sufficient numbers to actually hold the race and I could have pulled him out, but I was determined to run him provided he continued to do well after his Wanganui trip.

"You have to have somewhere to race the early-season babies and if this field had run with five runners rather than six the club might not have wanted to run it next year."

Antonio Lombardo jumped clear of his rivals and although the favourite French Connection loomed to his shoulder on the bend, he always looked comfortable.