Racing: Late starter but Temple Hills still cruises home

Punters had their hearts in their mouths over plunge horse Temple Hills at Te Rapa yesterday, but rider Jim Collett could not have been more relaxed.

The Lance O'Sullivan-trained Temple Hills carried nearly half the betting pool in the Cambridge-Te Awamutu Harness Maiden, but looked more like a $20 chance when he missed the start by four lengths.

That he was still able to loop the field and win handsomely points to him being a potential big-race winner of the future.

Temple Hills cost himself a winning debut when finishing second at Te Aroha with stable apprentice Chad Ormsby aboard. He missed the start that day and O'Sullivan yesterday engaged senior rider Collett with the aim of righting the greenness problem.

"He had to stand in the gates too long - he's a big green bloke. He's got a lot of learning to do," said Collett.

The job looked difficult when Collett took Temple Hills to be the widest horse, 10 deep on the home bend.

"The track was better out there, it didn't worry me being wide."

Temple Hills is a 3-year-old by Marju from well bred and well performed mare Soltanto. He is a bold-moving type who should develop into a good stayer.

O'Sullivan won't be rushing Temple Hills.

"We like him - he's a chance, but he's in the spelling paddock for three weeks tomorrow then we'll start again."

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The overseas raiding owners have struck at the top again when Savute was this week sold to Hong Kong.

That comes as no surprise, but with Fair Tax as racing's premier focus, it once again hits home how difficult it is for New Zealand owners to retain good horses with our current level of stakemoney.

"I'm not saying I needed to sell, but there was no way I was going to turn down the sort of money they offered," said senior owner David Cole, who raced Savute with his brother Peter and nephew Richard.

Savute successfully began his career with Nigel Tiley at Pukekohe and, at Tiley's suggesting he was transferred to the Jillings/Yuill stable at Takanini.

A foot abscess meant he had to be eased to miss the Derby and eventually ended up back with Tiley.

He had not raced since winning the Sunline Stakes at Te Rapa.

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Windsor Park's Steve Till will be guest speaker at the annual general meeting of the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders Association at Ellerslie racecourse this afternoon.

The meeting starts at 3.30pm in the Guineas Room Two.

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Lisa Cropp took her total to 170 wins with victory on Explode Away at Te Rapa yesterday. That leaves Cropp with 24 wins to pass Lance O'Sullivan's New Zealand record of 193 wins for a season and she has 18 meetings to achieve the total.