KEY POINTS:
When the perennially underrated Floydeboy swept over the line in the $200,000 Champions Mile at Ellerslie on Saturday Bernard Dyke had one of the biggest thrills in his life.
Seven seconds earlier it had been a different matter. Dyke recently had a heart attack and admitted the last
bit of the group one race when the finish was very tight was "interesting".
"I'm okay now, but 100 out I wasn't so good," said Dyke as he accepted congratulatory handshakes.
It was the only moment of the Cambridge trainer's week that had been difficult. Early on, he sweated the fine spell would break to provide Floydeboy with his favourite yielding conditions. When significant rain fell on Ellerslie in the 30 minutes leading up to the Champions Mile, Dyke could allow himself a smile.
The only thing he had left to do was advise first-time rider Mark Hills to watch for the old boy's tendency to drop the bit 800m from the finish.
Floydeboy looked one of the hardest and fittest horses in Saturday's parade and it stood to him in the hard driving finish.
Dyke saw it necessary to run the horse at Tuesday's Cambridge barrier trials, where Hills threw his leg over him for the first time.
"He's taken longer to come to fitness this year," said Dyke.
Dyke's other big moment in horse racing was preparing Star Harvest to win the 1991 Auckland Cup.
Three years ago Hills retired without a group one win to his credit and became foreman for Te Awamutu trainer Robert Priscott.
"At that time the fillies were carrying 53kg or 53.5kg and having to do that Wednesdays and Saturdays became too tough. When you had to turn those rides down and they won, your income was halved."
Hills, who turns 31 on Thursday, came back to riding when the weights were raised and has now ridden two group one winners, Macavelli Miss in the Thorndon Mile and Floydeboy.
"My weight's been a lot better since the break and that, coupled with the new level of stakemoney, has made things a lot better this time around."
Floydeboy is raced by the father and son partnership of Morrie and Bernie McDonald. Morrie recently suffered a stroke and had to watch the race on television from his Waiuku home and Bernie McDonald was with Bernard Dyke when he had his heart attack on the way home following a session of the Karaka yearling sale.
Bernie McDonald gave an animated speech at the official presentation.
"It might take us a day to get home," he said over the course speakers.
Dyke, clearly close to getting emotional, saved his best for the horse.
"Good on ya Floydeboy, you're as tough as Tonka Toys."
Equally happy after the race was Matamata trainer Wayne Hillis, who needed something smart from Dezigna to prove to him he was on track to represent New Zealand in the S$3 million ($2.6 million) Singapore Airlines International Cup on May 20.
What he saw was more than even he could have hoped for given the unsuitable wet track.
Dezigna looked to be struggling in the conditions at the 600m, but rallied bravely and stretched Floydeboy's neck right to the finish.
"That was a brave effort," said rider Vinny Colgan.
Dezigna's form read 7, 4, 3, 4, but Hillis knew his horse was close to his career-best form.
"People were starting to say he was losing form, but I've been riding him myself every day this week and I knew how well he's going."
Trudy Collett was delighted with what she described as a gutsy run from third-placed Polish Princess.
Topweight and favourite Sir Slick was unable to manage his 60.5kg in the conditions.
He was travelling reasonably outside the leader, but compounded when the pressure went on at the 400m and was not knocked around.
* Frank Ritchie is left without a rider for Gorgeous George in Saturday's Hawkes Bay Cup after Allan Peard earned a suspension at Ellerslie on Saturday.
