KEY POINTS:
The rejection of a six-figure offer for Porotene Gem was looking a wise move after the horse won the $200,000 Levin Classic at Otaki, north of Wellington, yesterday.
The offer to buy Porotene Gem was made about a fortnight ago but Taranaki owners Kemp and Anne Broughton decided the chance to run the horse in the group one race for three-year-olds was their first preference.
"We wanted to race our horse in a group one race," Kemp Broughton said.
"We have never had a horse in a group one race and we said we would get this over first and see how we get on."
They got on very well.
Porotene Gem trailed the pacemaker and favourite Jokers Wild all the way, came along his inner in the straight and went on to score victory by 1 1/2 lengths.
Kemp Broughton would not disclose how much the offer was but it is understood to be in the vicinity of $350,000. Her value now could be closer to $1 million.
The Broughtons have only been in race ownership for seven years but now have a team of about 10 horses, of which three are broodmares.
They purchased Porotene Gem at a weaning sale in Karaka, for $5600. Anne Broughton said the horse's size probably put off many buyers.
"We just liked her. She was very small and that's probably why we got her for the price we paid," she said.
Porotene Gem, by Pins, was yesterday having her fifth start for three wins and two fourths. The winning stake of $120,000 took her earnings to $140,000.
The horse is trained at Waverley by Kevin Gray who is having a season to remember.
It was only a month ago that Gray produced the Pins mare Legs to win New Zealand's richest race, the $1 million Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings.
* Rachael Frost had to sweat out a judicial inquiry before her biggest win as a trainer was confirmed yesterday.
Frost saddled up Arica in the $50,000 Levin Stakes Handicap (1400m) and the five-year-old mare, after racing three wide, ran out the winner by a long neck.
Second was Del Toro with three-quarters of a length to Boycott and a nose to Stateswoman, fourth.
Darryl Bradley, the rider of Stateswoman, lodged a protest against the winner, claiming a gap for his mount had closed by Arica drifting out in the straight.
The judicial panel conceded the winner had drifted out but said it was insufficient interference to warrant a change of placings.
Frost, 28, has only been training for about four years and it was the first time she had been involved in an inquiry as a trainer, said the former jockey.
"I have only been in one other inquiry and that was when I was riding," Frost said.
Ironically it was aboard the Bruce Marsh-trained After Eight who was relegated from first to second. Bruce Marsh's son Stephen trains Stateswoman.
Frost was apprenticed to Bruce Marsh and she said she rode about 28 winners.
Arica is only one of about three horses Frost trains. But she said horses were her passion even though training had been a battle financially.
"I think it is for most trainers," Frost said. "It's like being a jockey, unless you are in the top 10 you are probably struggling. But I love them [horses]; it's all I do."
Arica was yesterday posting her fourth win from 17 starts. Frost said she would consider the $50,000 North Island Challenge Stakes Handicap (1400m) at Trentham on December 9 as the horse's next start.
Frost said Arica was sent to her stable because she had trained the horse's half-brother who was "a bit mad". The half-brother broke a shoulder in a trial race at Foxton which resulted in rider Paul Taylor breaking a leg.
- NZPA
