Racing: Green continues New Zealand's rule in Derby

Courage To Rule arrives just in time to nab fellow Kiwi Lincoln Royal and Lanercost in the Victoria Derby. Photo / Victoria Harness Racing

John Green laughs when he thinks how close he came to not giving Courage To Rule his shot at Victoria Derby glory.

"To be honest we didn't think he was good enough," said Green, who trains the gelding in partnership with Brian Hughes in South Auckland.

"It was only when we read in the Herald two weeks ago that Smiling Shard was out because of injury that we started to look at the race.

"I'm bloody glad we did now," said Green after Courage To Rule led home a New Zealand quinella in the classic with Lincoln Royal.

The win came courtesy of a brilliant drive from Green's long-time friend Greg Bennett, who was aggressive and then patient all in the space of 200m early in the race to secure the one-one.

The New South Wales driver then timed his run perfectly to grab a brave Lincoln Royal in the last 50m, with Lanercost heading home a New Zealand-bred trifecta.

For Green, the win comes at a time when he is dividing his time between training and the family real estate and investment business, so much of the credit also goes to Hughes.

But the victory had special significance for Green as he formerly trained in Australia and has never been scared to campaign horses there.

The win was fitting as both Courage To Rule and Lanercost are sons of Courage Under Fire, who produced two of the great Derby performances ever at Moonee Valley in 1999.

He is now emerging as a quality, value sire whose stock seem to weather hard racing better than many of the other Direct Scooter-line stallions.

That should guarantee him solid support, especially from mid-range buyers, at the yearling sales next week.

Courage To Rule cost Green and his partners $55,000 at the sales two years ago, with Mark Purdon adding an extra $20,000 to the price.

"Mark and I were the only two bidding on him for much of the time and I was filthy I had to go to $55,000 at the time.

"But I don't mind now."

Courage To Rule was the second-best performed 2-year-old in New Zealand last year but his form dipped when Green says he was driven too early this season.

"That is why we put Peter Ferguson on over home and Greg here because we wanted him driven to his strengths," said Green.

"That is why we ultimately decided to come over here, because he is tough enough to handle Australian racing."

The Kiwi quinella bodes well for the $500,000 Woodlands Derby at Alexandra Park on March 12, with Courage To Rule and Lincoln Royal confirming what a vintage crop the New Zealand pacing 3-year-olds are this season.

The Australians were crowing about their 3-year-olds heading into this Derby series.

However, as has been the case so many times in the past 20 years, New Zealand's best 3-year-old pacers are usually just better than their transtasman rivals.