KEY POINTS:
Peter Mckay was questioning the judgment of punters after the $175,000 (Group One) Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie.
The Matamata-based trainer won the feature 2-year-old event yesterday with Alamosa who capitalised on a dream sit behind the leaders throughout to score a shock half-length victory over El Cuento and Satinka.
Alamosa paid the massive sum of $23.10, despite boasting a career record of two wins and two second placings from six starts.
The O'Reilly-sired colt lengthened stride impressively in the home stretch bursting along the rail leaving no excuses for the opposition.
"He got too far back in the $500,000 race at Te Rapa and he never got a go at them in Matamata last start," said McKay.
"I couldn't believe how punters let him go. It was always the plan to push forward from the inside draw for the opening 200 metres and then look to take a sit and maintain our position close to the leaders.
"It was a great ride by Gavin [McKeon, jockey] and this horse hasn't had a lot of luck in his last couple of starts, but everything worked out perfectly today."
The race was billed as a match race between the speedster The Pooka and Satinka, but both failed to fire.
Satinka sat outside the leader and faded late in the home stretch, while The Pooka was back throughout.
Without doubt the run of the race was recorded by the second-placed El Cuento who sat three wide outside the leaders and fought on gallantly.
Mark Du Plessis was the first to admit that his win on Gaze was not the prettiest riding display, but he was happy to take the Starcraft New Zealand Stakes victory.
Du Plessis was adamant he would not allow Sir Slick to dictate terms in front during the running of the $200,000 Group One race.
Sir Slick charged straight to the front during the early stages of the weight-for-age feature but was eye-balled over the closing 600m by Du Plessis and Gaze.
This left both runners vulnerable to any off-the-pace runners in the home stretch, none of which were good enough to trouble them.
Sir Slick and Gaze engaged in a brutal stride-for-stride battle the length of the home stretch. Gaze secured the victory in the final stride by a half-head over Sir Slick with a further 2 1/2 lengths away to Dezigna.
The victory capped an impressive carnival at Ellerslie for Du Plessis, who won the Auckland Cup with Prize Lady on Wednesday.
"If I'd attacked and we'd both dropped out it wouldn't have looked good, but if I'd left him alone she would never have beaten him," Du Plessis said.
"I thought we were going to go right by at the 300m, but it's to Sir Slick's credit that he fought back."
Sir Slick was gallant in defeat, unleashing a blistering closing 600m sprint off the front in 33.43 seconds, which made it impossible for any runner beyond midfield to make ground.
However, the presence of Gaze and an annoying Du Plessis denied the front-running warrior four consecutive Group One victories.
Trainer Roger James was confident before the race that the 4-year-old mare was ready to return to Group One winning glory.
"I told anybody who would listen that this race was the mare's best chance to win a Group One race and everything fell into place.
"We knew we had to pressure Sir Slick in front, otherwise he would only have to sprint 350m as opposed to the closing 600m, and I can't speak highly enough of the ride produced by Mark," James said.
Gaze, winner of the Group One Doomben Roses in Brisbane last year, is now set to return to Queensland for the winter carnival to be aimed at the Group One Doomben Cup.
