KEY POINTS:
How good can Tell A Tale get?
They weren't mugs he beat in Saturday's $100,000 H S Dyke Avondale Guineas - he just made them look like it.
Sure, the second-best horse in the race, Takeanotherchance, raced below his best, but when you sit last, loop the entire field in a slowly-run race and dash clear to win by two lengths easing down, you've got to ask some questions.
And he did all of that looking as though he got lost out in the centre of the Avondale track on his own.
Topline 3-year-olds generally improve dramatically from around now through January and February.
They strengthen and get tougher mentally and physically.
Tell A Tale looks to have already improved through to this point from when he surprised most with his upset Hawkes Bay Guineas win.
Saturday even eclipsed his stunning $1 million 2000 Guineas victory at Riccarton when he had to overcome difficulties.
He had to overcome even more during the middle of last week when he had two stitches inserted into a foreleg that swelled.
If there really is more improvement to come, we're in for some exciting racing.
Rarely do 3-year-olds win at this level with the authority Tell A Tale showed on Saturday.
Given the way he can relax anywhere in a field, there's every reason to believe the 2400m of the $2.2 million Telecom NZ Derby on February 28 will be a breeze for him.
"He'll run out the 2400m for sure," said an excited winning rider Troy Harris.
Mark Walker, incredibly busy with yearling inspection, did a remarkable job to get Tell A Tale to the race.
Almost in line for the minors were Firebolt, Outtalimitz, Santorielli and Down The Road.
The victory was another triumph for syndication. John Galvin's Fortuna syndicates, which started in January last year, involve 135 investors, nearly two thirds of them first-time owners. Te Akau boss David Ellis bought Tell A Tale for A$120,000 for Galvin at a Queensland sale and after eight starts the bankroll is $765,400.
Former trainer Bryce Tankard, who manages Takeanotherchance for his new Hong Kong owners, said the camp could not come up with a definitive reason why the horse finished only eighth.
"It was a bit disappointing, but he did not have things go all his own way.
"He got shuffled back along the inside and was then committed to making his finishing run inside when most of the horses making ground were doing it out wide. The inside didn't seem to be the best place to be."
The first priority is to qualify Takeanotherchance to enter Hong Kong.
Tankard said he will meet with the horse's new co-trainer Tony Pike today to work out a campaign.
"Once we get him qualified we can put that behind us and concentrate on whether he stays here for the Derby or heads to Hong Kong."
