Racing: Debut winners future stars

Melt races clear for a stunning win at her first raceday start at Pukekohe. Photo / Trish Dunell

We've said it before recently and we hope to keep saying it — the gallopers coming through the ranks at the moment takes our racing to a different level.

If you need proof of that look at replays of the juvenile winners at Pukekohe on Saturday and Te Rapa yesterday.

Debut 2-year-olds at this time of year can often win by margins because of the inexperience of the opposition, but that was not the case of Melt at Pukekohe and She's a Thief yesterday.

Here's a massive call — both fillies look to have Group 1-winning style.

The final 200m sprint Melt produced for rider Michael McNab and trainer Nigel Tiley was nothing short of astounding. There is no mystery where the Iffraaj filly gets the strength for that — Melt has a magnificent deep and powerful shoulder, physicality that blends beautifully with the extreme talent her trainer has always admired.

Tiley was interviewed pre-race and being unable to say "I think this is a good thing", because no trainer wants to put their head that far into the lion's mouth, said if there wasn't a coming superstar in the field he felt Melt would be "right there".

Melt was definitely right there, but the opposition was three and a quarter lengths away and the winner was not put under real pressure.

Tiley said later: "Her work on Tuesday was better than any 2-year-old I've trained."

Because she was bred by her owner, Melt is not a Karaka Million horse, but she will take plenty of beating on whatever path the stable sets her on.

She's a Thief's win yesterday was remarkable. She tended to overrace in her debut and the fear was she would expend too much energy. No such luck for the opposition — when Jake Bayliss released the breaks at the 375m, the Showcasing filly put nearly five lengths on the field.

The impressive feature of these wins is that there was plenty of class behind both fillies.

Because so many of New Zealand's colts are sold either at yearling auctions or as made horses to Asia or Australia, fillies and mares play a major role on our racing scene. The first three home in Saturday's Breeders Stakes, Sensible Princess, Francaletta and Coldplay, all have major futures and Love Affair's effort to win a slightly lesser race was outstanding.

At Te Rapa, Ripley showed winning a maiden at his second start that he was a coming star. A big, rangy Rip Van Winkle type he looks a fair way from the physical racehorse he may one day become.

No pun intended, but believe it or not, Ripley is the first horse we've noticed that dishes the near-side front leg as significantly as Sunline used to. No problem, Sunline won $13 million.

• The highly regarded Savabeel 4-year-old Love Affair stepped out for the first time this season at Pukekohe and put up one of the performances of the day as she raced to victory against some tough opposition in a rating 85 1400m contest.

Unsighted since completing a 3-year- old campaign that yielded three wins from just four starts, the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman trained mare had been idling around their Cambridge yard waiting for the improved tracks to take hold.

Saturday's Dead 4 rated surface was perfect for the mare's resumption although Forsman admitted the stable were a little concerned she may have been found wanting with only one trial under her belt.

"We've always held her in very high regard and we believe she has what it takes to get to the top," he said.