If you suspected The Message could be in the best form of his career as a 7-year-old, suspect no more.
Believe it.
The Message's eight-length win in Saturday's Foxbridge Plate may not have been against the best field he's met, but it was one of his real career highlights.
And it has as much to do with pain as it does with sheer ability.
Quite simply, the horse who has had to struggle through debilitating knee discomfort for most of his career, is finally pain free.
Rider Linda Ballantyne identified it halfway through last season.
"When he won his last start before going to Hong Kong in December, I said to John Ralph, this horse is finally starting to enjoy what he's doing.
"He seems even better this time in and he was just loving what he was doing out there today," said Ballantyne on Saturday.
So much so that The Message took himself to the front at the 600m without any urging.
From there he was in a class of his own.
The Message will never have perfect knees, but the memories of spending nearly two seasons away from the track have faded right away.
He looks more solid than previously and John Ralph is hoping that continues through a preparation that will include the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate.
Don't buy into the line that 4.5kg apprentice Paul Sellwood cost veteran All In Fun his much sought after million dollar earnings with an impatient ride on Saturday.
Even winning rider Michael Coleman, who ran All In Fun down in the last 50m, did not think so.
"Paul did the right thing pressing ahead early in the run home," said Coleman.
"I didn't think we were going to pick him up and it was only that Hangover Harry kept grinding really well that cost All In Fun the win."
All In Fun is just $3423 short of $1 million and, to be fair, he will get few better opportunities than Saturday, but you would like to bet even money he will get there - 11 years old and all.
"He will run in the weight-for-age 1600m at Wanganui," said trainer Warren Dymond.
It was not the lack of class that beat Zabeels Angel on Saturday.
It was simply an equation of the level of fitness over the dour track conditions.
Zabeels Angel was as fit as Jenny Vance could get her after three and a half months away from racing and the highly talented mare was travelling as well, and in most cases much better, than her opposition on the home bend.
But tough, hard fitness counted for more than class on Saturday and it got the better of the mare.
"That footing is on a par with Trentham at its winter worst," said rider Gary Grylls after Zabeels Angel finished fourth.
The 1.18.42 1200m time told the story.
Stay with her.
Despite the fact Real Tonic showed real grit to win that race, rider Mark Du Plessis believes the two-from-two Taranaki visitor will be better on improved conditions.
"He's not a bad horse," said Du Plessis.
"He's going to improve, he looked around continuously in the closing stages."
Noel Harris reckons you never get old enough to learn.
Last week he bought a new fish filleting knife and on Friday cut his middle finger so badly he had to stand down after only one ride at Te Rapa on Saturday.
"You're always saying to your kids: "Watch out for that knife," and I go and nearly slice the knuckle off my finger."
The pain in bending the finger saw Harris cancel the remainder of his rides for the day after riding Paden in Race 4.
"We jumped out and when I grabbed the reins, I bent the finger and the pain was something else.
"I had to try and pull her up with a straight middle finger, which is not easy, I can tell you."
The blinkers did not work for Malpaso Man last time the headgear was used, but they almost certainly go back on after he was beaten out of the money on Saturday.
If you backed him, you are excused for heading for the collect machine 200m out.
"He was going to win by five lengths and he pulled up to half pace," said an astounded rider Michael Coleman.
Racing: Message received loud and clear
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