Roger James almost can't believe his luck.
"Fancy being handed a horse that fit," said James after Giovana destroyed her opposition in Saturday's $100,000 Whakanui Stud International Stakes.
James takes over the training of Giovana for the $A1.25 million Australian Cup on March 12 and that is a decision for which you have to give a lot of credit to the mare's owner Carol Marshall.
Few trainers who had won a group one as authoritatively as Giovana on Saturday would be prepared to send their horse to another trainer.
But Marshall is smart enough to know travelling horses is a learned art. When something goes wrong overseas you have to know how to fix the problem quickly. Options are limited compared to being at home.
James is one of a handful of New Zealand trainers highly experienced in travelling.
Despite her dual group one record, Giovana is probably always going to be slightly underrated.
Punters should keep the video of Saturday's win and play it every time Giovana races.
"They don't win races much easier than that," said senior rider Peter Johnson.
"And she is going to get better. Next season she will improve lengths again."
Giovana may not have to improve greatly to be a major Australian Cup threat.
Australia is lacking genuine weight-for-age stars. Sky Heights and Mackinnon Stakes winner Oliver Twist are sidelined and Cent Home went an ordinary race in yesterday's Orr Stakes in Melbourne, looking under pressure on the home bend.
"With no Zonda, I already had Giovana favourite before her win yesterday," said Double Bet bookie manager Brian Taylor.
"Diatribe will be well in the market after he flashed home into fourth in the Orr Stakes."
The $A300,000 Orr was won by 3-year-old Desert Sky in a close finish with Skoozi Please.
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She's A Meanie probably earned a trip to the $US500,000 Singapore Cup when she flashed into second behind Giovana on Saturday.
"That was fabulous given she hadn't raced for six weeks," said rider Lance O'Sullivan.
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What's the bet the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic is elevated to group one status next season.
It deserves to be after Singalong won the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly Of The Year title in the race on Saturday, with a finish you don't see often.
Singalong and Noel Harris finished so fast they caught Matthew Williamson unawares on Bobby Lee.
Williamson was about to use his whip but in the time it took to bring it down, Singalong was suddenly in the space Williamson had anticipated using and the whip became tangled between Singalong's mane and her reins.
The win was a tribute to Lady Justine Hogan's persistence when husband Sir Patrick did not want her to buy the $20,000 filly, trainer Stephen Autridge's management through a tough season and Singalong's ability to master her own fizzy personality.
"She was brilliant today, she went down quietly and was a pleasure to ride," said Noel Harris.
"She was so much better than she has been."
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This was the omen win of all time - Manurewa's Dennis Tristram being one of the 10 Appeal Of Zabeel winners on Saturday.
The Irish in Sir Patrick Hogan, sponser of the promotion with Sir Tristram's son Zabeel, loves it.
Three of the 20 winners who will go into the draw for the winner at Tauranga races on Saturday are directly involved in the industry.
Training partners Colin Jillings and Richard Yuill were among the preliminary winners last week and are joined in the final draw by a staff syndicate at Donna Logan's stable and by Peter Milich, father of Paul Milich, who produced She's A Meanie to finish second to Giovana on Saturday.
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Jim Gibbs loves seeing good horses, but he's brassed off he saw one on Saturday.
Gibbs was counting the money with his class filly Butterscotch with 75m to run in the Black Heart 1200 at Te Rapa.
He was then as staggered as everyone who watched Mabuz keep his unbeaten record intact with a finishing burst that you see every few years.
"That horse could win an Epsom Handicap," said Gibbs, happy in the end that if he was beaten at least it was by a topliner.
Mabuz's owner and trainer Nelson Schick does not disagree with Gibbs' assessment of the horse who has won four from four and will be short odds to make it five straight next time to the races.
"I thought he was a group three horse before he raced," said Schick.
"You can't say they're group one horses before they do something on the track, but he's starting to look like he's up to that class now."
Rider Vinny Colgan could initially only shake his head when he walked into the jockeys' room.
"Wicked, just wicked," he finally said.
Mabuz was last on the home turn, although only six or seven lengths from the leader. Twice in the straight Colgan was disappointed for racing room and it was only in the last 120m that an inside gap opened.
The sprint was staggering. Without being pushed, Mabuz breezed past Butterscotch. His knees may not be the best, but his heart, brain and sheer talent are top class. The Stradbroke Handicap was mentioned.
On a fabulous day of racing, Bel Air and Blanchard were other winners who looked destined for high honours.
Racing: Giovana moving trainers after blistering victory
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