KEY POINTS:
Dav And Ming's surprise Te Awamutu win might be the only time we see the talented sprinter race in New Zealand.
The former Hong Kong galloper gave equally talented trainer Chris McNab victory on Saturday with his first local runner in a year after a brief period training in Macau.
Dav And Ming is headed to where McNab recently left, and that could be immediately if the handicappers give him an international rating of 85 after Saturday's win.
The Australian-bred sprinter won three 1000m races in his home country before being sent to race in Hong Kong, where he was a total flop.
"He's owned by Richard Hui, who I have always trained for," said a delighted McNab after the $19.60 win.
"Richard wanted to transfer the horse to Macau, but horses can't go directly there from Hong Kong, which is why he had to come here first. He also has to raise his rating to get into Macau."
Dav And Ming won so well under Michelle Wenn on Saturday that he has a definite future racing in New Zealand, but McNab is more than comfortable knowing he'll lose the horse.
"Richard lives in Hong Kong, but he's spent time on the board of the Macau Jockey Club and you can understand him wanting to see the horse race there.
"There's more money there, too."
McNab has eight horses in work and is unsure how many he wants to end up with in another 12 months.
"Ideally I'd like to be training 50 or 60, but there's too much trouble with staff.
"This Government has made things impossible by introducing days in lieu.
"No one in racing has ever had a public holiday off - it's a day of business for everyone in the industry.
"The way things are now it means the owner and the trainer are putting their hands in their pockets all the time.
"It makes it so hard."
McNab will check the posting of the international ratings this morning to determine whether Dav And Ming requires another win to qualify to race in Macau.
Rollercoaster ride for Honiss
Paul Honiss might have had a bit of a harrowing time refereeing the Wallabies versus the Springbok on Saturday night, but brother Mike ended his day brilliantly despite it starting out disastrously.
Mike Honiss prefers getting behind the steering wheel of a motorcar to blowing a ref's whistle, but crashed out of the Taranaki Tarmac rally early enough for him to find a radio and listen to his horse Bellevue Lass score the biggest win of her career in the $50,000 Te Awamutu Wines and Spirits Cup.
But even that wasn't enough to fully lift a flu-flattened trainer Lance Noble, who has always had a big opinion of Bellevue Lass.
Winter, yes, mud, no
There's a place for winter racing, but boy, it's tough at times.
What about that track at Awapuni on Saturday. Most horses were off the bit fully 600m out in every race and it was simply the survival of the gamest.
Many horses were down to a walk at the 200m and they included some of the fancied runners.
Even winning rider Darryl Bradley admitted he'd given up on the home turn on big race winner Dubhdara, who mysteriously found another gear in the home straight.
Is that really horse racing?
To many, racing on tracks that deep makes as much sense as a league scrum.
Perhaps this is where we will see the future of synthetic tracks, already being introduced in Australia on a limited basis and being seriously discussed here.
Anything would be better.
