Racing: Hera perfectly rated to win

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Racing can be a cruel game.

Vinny Colgan got the ride of the day for his front-running performance on Hera in the $100,000 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic at Te Rapa on Saturday.

For sure it was a piece of art, Colgan's kind hands fitting perfectly into the impromptu role of pacemaking. But when it is suggested Colgan outrode Matt Cameron on the favourite, Spellbinder, some critics went too far.

Cameron was given a tough job. The free-running Spellbinder was placed in the favourable one-one from the 2000m start, but when the filly started skying her head and racing a bit too fiercely at her first 2000m appearance, Cameron had to get her back under him with a measure of relaxation.

In doing so, he and Spellbinder ended up one place further back on the outside than planned and what was desirable.

Spellbinder may well have beaten Hera had she came out of the one-one on the home bend instead of having to track round four wide on the bend - only a neck separated them at the finish.

In one of those crazy quirks of sport and racing, would Colgan, whose endeavours would have been no different, still got ride of the day if Spellbinder had beaten him and Hera?

In the tough, no-excuses game of horse racing a winning ride always looks better than any of those behind.

Regardless of the spot in running, Spellbinder might still have beaten Hera but for being knocked sideways at the 300m by Toetwotoe, who ducked out suddenly when struck by another runner inside.

Colgan is a top-class act riding anywhere in a field but his great strength is his patience and his sense of timing in bringing a horse from back in running to challenge late in a race, never using one gram of energy more than is necessary.

It's great to see him back, even if only temporarily from his Queensland base. Hera and Spellbinder are two classy fillies.

Chop Chop certainly showed she was up to staying an Oaks trip in making huge ground from last to finish fourth in the Fillies Classic.

Her job was made tougher by the sit-and-sprint tempo of the race; Hera's time of 2:06.33 for the 2000m was way off the 2:02.91 it took Costume to win the Herbie Dyke.

The TAB lost "healthily" on the new money-back refund bet option introduced at Te Rapa on Saturday.

However, it will remain as an interesting mathematical exercise for punters, one that will prove popular.

The TAB picked out three well-fancied runners from the programme: Neena Rock, Spellbinder and Peacefuleasyfeelin and offered money back on a special bet option on the win bet if each of the horses finished second and third.

The hook was that the win odds on each were reduced, Spellbinder, for example, going from $1.95 to $1.50 on that special option.

Neena Rock and Spellbinder finished close seconds and Peacefuleasyfeelin ran third.

TAB betting manager Thad Taylor said the agency paid out "a lot" on multiple bets that ended with each of the three horses. "All the doubles, trebles and multiples on those horses were paid out. Trebles became doubles and doubles became single win bets."