Racing: Darci Brahma's fourth pleases trainer

Mark Walker was delighted with Darci Brahma's fourth in Saturday's A$140,000 ($162,000) Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill in Sydney.

The race was only ever to be used as a lead-up to this week's A$500,000 Dubai Rosehill Guineas because Walker believed it would have been too long between races without it.

Michael Walker dropped Darci Brahma out to last on a day when it was difficult to make ground from the back on a track officially rated as slow.

The New Zealand colt had to make his challenge wider than any other runner on the home bend and did well to finish fourth in the middle of the track and not far from the placegetters.

"I thought it was a very good run," said Mark Walker.

"He got back a bit further than we'd planned and he was hopeless on that track surface.

"It will have rounded off his preparation perfectly for next week."

Walker sees it as an enormous benefit that he will now not have to do much with the colt this week.

Saturday's group one race will be Darci Brahma's first start beyond 1600m and Walker says he is eagerly looking forward to it.

"I think he'll love the step up in distance.

"Hotel Grand will try and lead throughout and the potentially small field means that hopefully Darci will not get too far off them.

"I think that after this race he will be in perfect shape for next Saturday."

Darci Brahma's effort in the Rosehill Guineas will determine whether he goes forward for the A$2 million AJC Derby on April 15.

Saturday's Phar Lap was won in typically brave fashion by Apache Cat, who had held out Darci Brahma in the Australian Guineas at his previous start. Apache Cat looked certain to be run down by the favourite Racing To Win, but he kicked back too strongly to win by a short neck.

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There can be no lingering doubt that Mi Jubilee is back to the brilliance that saw her rated so highly as a juvenile last season.

Put most of that down to the equine chiropractic work by Ric Boyd, who similarly put an ailing Mi Muchacho back into alignment before his Auckland Cup victory.

Watching Mi Jubilee's volatile acts before and sometimes after a race, it's no great surprise she's put something out of alignment somewhere.

But out on the racetrack is where Mi Jubilee creates her best moves.

She was simply outstanding in winning the open sprint at Tauranga and don't be one of those that discard her because of the extension to 1600m for her next assignment, the group one New Zealand Bloodstock Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha on April 8.

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New Zealand jumper Fontera could finish only 11th in Saturday night's $1.2 million Pegasus Jumps Stakes in Japan.

A much more encouraging trial for the world's richest jumps race, the Nakayama Grand Jump on April 15, was the second placing of Australia's Karasi, who finished a close second to Japanese runner Telegenic.

Karasi and Melbourne-based New Zealand jockey Brett Scott, finished third in last year's Pegasus before winning the Grand Jump.

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Legs' Oaks win last week helped force the hand of Waikato Stud to announce the service fee of his sire Pins much earlier than usual.

Following a sensational season, with six individual stakes winners, including two at group one, Pins will stand at a fee of $25,000 for the next breeding season.

"Because of the year Waikato Stud has had we've had countless inquiries about the stallions and in fairness we needed to declare our fees early," said co-principal Mark Chittick.

O'Reilly will stand at a competitive $12,000, No Excuse Needed, at $10,000, and Cox Plate winner Savabeel, once again at $35,000.

At the Karaka Premier sale, No Excuse Needed progeny averaged $142,000, 18 times his previous service fee.