Vernanme is a top chance in the Vodafone NZ Derby at Ellerslie today. Photo / Trish Dunell
Vernanme is a top chance in the Vodafone NZ Derby at Ellerslie today. Photo / Trish Dunell
Plenty of people make promises like the one Vern Trillo made to Stephen Marsh.
In racing the easiest thing for an owner to do is promise a trainer that one day you will give them a horse, maybe even a good horse.
Trillo might have thought it was the best way of appeasing a then 16-year-old Marsh, the kid with racing stars in his eyes who wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father Bruce.
It was over 20 years ago that the Auckland-based equine dentist Trillo would head to Woodville and the surrounding areas to smooth out the annoying edges on horses' teeth, his clients including Marsh senior.
The teeth weren't the only annoying thing as holding the horse's head while Trillo worked would be Stephen, pestering "Mr Trillo" to one day give him a horse.
"I would tell him, Mr Trillo you know one day I'll be training and I'd love to train a horse for you," laughs Marsh.
"And he told me he would definitely do that but he would make sure it was a good horse." Words. Words that could easily disappear into racing's desert of broken promises as the lives of both men changed.
Marsh would eventually move to Cambridge and true to his prediction become a trainer, then a good trainer.
Trillo remained the family horse dentist and Marsh didn't stop hassling him.
"I saw a couple of nice horses Vern owned going around for other trainers and would ask him when I was going to get one.
Stephen Marsh. Photo / Trish Dunell
"But Vern would just say, no, I'm, waiting until I get the right one for you. A good one." Two years ago, when Marsh was 36, Trillo casually turned to him and said he had that horse now.
His name is now Vernanme and he can win today's $1 million Vodafone Derby at Ellerslie.
Trillo, who only retired from the equine dentistry last week, wasn't joking when he told Marsh their first horse together would be a good one.
Vernanme is a brother to ATC Derby-winning filly Shamrocker and Auckland Cup winner Rock Diva and Trillo got no argument from co-owner Kevin Hickman when he suggested Marsh train the beautiful son of O'Reilly.
And Marsh has had to really train him because for all his talent Vernanme has needed time.
"He always had the ability but we have had to wait for him a bit so he was in work for a month, then spelling and then back for a jump out, then another spell.
"But last September we knew we had a horse who could win the Derby and since then everything has been about this race."
His last-start third in the Derby trial that matters most, the Avondale Guineas, saw Vernanme sweep into the race at the 400m before grinding his way down the Ellerslie straight.
"He has improved with that and Jason (Waddell) thinks there is another two lengths in him.
"He is exactly where he needs to be and while I respect how hard it is to win a Derby we think we have the horse who can do it."
Marsh is the only person mentioned in this story who hasn't won a Derby in some capacity. Yet.
His father Bruce did with Hail, Hickman and Trillo both have, Waddell won it just last year.
The once-persistent kid from Woodville will arrive at Ellerslie today now one of the most polished trainers in the game, one of racing's big three under-40s with Jamie Richards and Andrew Forsman, the future of the industry.
