KEY POINTS:
There were a lot of icon moments to recall for Trevor Luke and co-owners Peter and Kim McKay as they watched Alamosa come back after Saturday's $175,000 Ford Diamond Stakes.
Like the phone call Luke fielded from Peter McKay when he was in Canada a few months ago
during which McKay convinced the Canterbury businessman not to sell Alamosa.
Like Gavin McKeon apologising for what he saw as a below-par ride on the colt in the lead-up race at Matamata last start.
Like their own belief that Alamosa was as good as any of New Zealand's 2-year-olds despite seemingly everyone dropping off the colt.
Hardly anyone rated Alamosa a serious chance on Saturday but the McKays and Trevor Luke strongly believed they could win.
In the pre-race parade someone asked Peter McKay how many group-one races he'd won.
When he replied "in five", they asked, so this will be your sixth?
What McKay was saying was that in five minutes he'd be recording his first.
And he was right.
"In the spring we rated this colt the best 2-year-old in the country and we haven't had reason to change our minds," said McKay and Luke agreed.
"Even if he's not the absolute best, he's right up there with them."
After two winning performances at Hastings in the spring and a second at Riccarton, Alamosa was eased and brought back with the $500,000 NZB Classique and Saturday's race in mind.
Luck was against him in the Classique and McKeon took the blame for the lead-up Matamata fourth.
McKeon told the camp he'd understand if he was taken off the horse and when he wasn't, he declared he'd win the race for them.
"We weren't going to change jockeys at that late stage," said McKay.
"You know, all season we've wanted to stay with the same jockey, but our riders kept jumping off for what they saw as better mounts."
McKeon kept his word - he rode Alamosa picture-perfect.
Aided by the one barrier he jumped the colt out quickly and settled into the trail when two of the main dangers, Satinka and El Cuento, were parked outside the leader and camped three wide respectively.
It was the winning of the race.
There is no appropriate award, but McKay deserves recognition for a marvellous ability to keep his horses racing at peak through long campaigns.
What he has done with class sprinter Kay's Awake this season defies description.
The mare has not missed one carnival, including Riccarton, and is still racing right up to her best.
"You'll never see my horses feature in Tuesday and Thursday trackwork," said McKay.
"I don't do a lot with them between races - I just love racing them."
If McKay had a slight negative in his mind going into Saturday's group-one feature it was Ellerslie.
"It's one of my worst tracks - I reckon I've only ever won two races here.
"To come here and win a group-one - beautiful."
Luke deserves his luck - he either owns outright or has shares in 14 horses in the McKay stable.
"We trade a few. We sold two at the Ready To Run and sold another trials winner.
"Of the yearlings we bought this year to top up with we'll probably keep two and sell five."
They include a $105,000 Stravinsky colt and a $160,000 Stravinsky filly.
This was also Luke's first group-one victory.
"The closest I'd come before was a second in a group-one harness race."
After the Classique and Matamata bad luck Alamosa deserved his turn on a day when any number of the others found their downturn in fortune.
El Cuento fought so bravely for second after having to work early and sit three deep without cover and third-placed Satinka was no less brave after similarly finding no cover.
Second favourite Pierre Joseph ran on from last through the pack into fourth, but highlighted how difficult it is to give starts to the opposition at this level.
The Redoute's Choice colt will no doubt be better suited when he gets to the 1400m of the Manawatu Sires Produce, but he's already starting to race like a Derby colt.
The favourite The Pooka beat only one home and rider Mark Du Plessis said he was never confident after the colt went to the start feeling the track slightly.
"He warmed up when I trotted him around at the start, but once he got into the barriers he got agitated and simply didn't want to be there. He raced accordingly."
Du Plessis and trainer John Wheeler retain their very high opinion of The Pooka.
