Racing: Mare in fine form for Kelt

Daffodil cemented favouritism for the $1.2 million Kelt Capital Stakes with a blistering home stretch sprint to win the feature at Hastings yesterday.

The Kelt Capital Stakes, New Zealand's premier weight-for-age event, will be held at Hastings on October 3.

Yesterday Daffodil clinched favouritism by unleashing a mouth-watering sprint down the extreme outside of the track to win the $220,000 (Group One) Windsor Park Plate.

Jockey Hayden Tinsley settled the 4-year-old mare back off the speed and hooked his charge to the outside of the track, relentlessly reeling in the leaders to score by a long neck over Sarrera with a further half-neck back to Sterling Prince.

Palmerston North trainer Kevin Gray had Daffodil primed for a bold performance in the 1600m weight-for-age feature after two outings over 1200m.

"It's a big thrill to win any race but particularly when they're a Group One. I thought we may have got too far back in the running but Hayden knows her really well," said Gray.

"The plan early on was to get her here today for this race and we'll be taking things race by race but the Kelt [Stakes] is the next obvious target.

"She's a class mare and that was an impressive turn of speed to win this race and she'll have no problems stepping up in distance in her next start."

Sarrera was one runner to catch the eye, producing a powerful finishing burst along the rail to finish second.

Prince Kaapstad was another to strengthen his Kelt Capital Stakes claims, finishing fourth, just over a length from the winner, while Tavistock found the finishing line in great style placed sixth.

The favourite, Mufhasa, sprinted forward at the start to sit outside the leader Sir Slick but was beaten in the home stretch to finish 12th, seven lengths behind the winner.

Mufhasa did suffer some minor interference in the home stretch but was not knocked about. A tough first-up run when narrowly beaten at Hastings may have contributed to yesterday's performance.

ST GERMAINE was one runner who had no problems with the indifferent track at Hastings, coasting to an effortless victory in the $70,000 (Group Three) Gold Trail Stakes.

The daughter of Keeper was handy to the leaders throughout with jockey Mark Du Plessis punching his charge to the front quickly on the home turn scoring by 1 lengths over Eileen Dubh with a further 1 lengths back to Katie Lee.

St Germaine has been a wonderfully consistent and lightly raced performer from the stable of Matamata trainer John Sargent. She has two wins and three minor placings from six starts.

A first-up fourth behind the impressive The Hombre confirmed St Germaine had returned to racing this season in good order and punters were quick to support the filly against her own age and sex.

Yesterday's victory showed the 3-year-old is a competent performer on rain-effected footing which is a great asset to have during spring racing.

However this filly does have a touch of class and will have no trouble handling the step up in racing distance later this season or competing on firmer tracks.

Katie Lee recorded the run of the race settling well off the speed and unwinding with a powerful, sustained sprint down the outer of the track in the home straight.

THERE WAS a spring in the step of Matamata trainer and bloodstock agent Paul Moroney after the running of the $30,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Premier 3-Year-Old.

The Mike and Paul Moroney-trained Slashing powered his way to a narrow but impressive head victory over The Hombre with a further 5 lengths back to third-placed Kohi Road.

Slashing made it back-to-back wins after taking out a maiden event on heavy footing on his home track.

He may be seen back in action on the final day of the three-day Hastings meeting when contesting the Hawke's Bay Guineas.