By MIKE DILLON
We all know the McKees would not have Sunline if it were not for Trevor McKee's pigheadedness.
Saturday's dashing $60,000 Lindauer Guineas winner Millennium falls into nearly the same category for the same stable.
Sunline's tough attitude made her almost impossible to break in.
Millenium made it almost impossible to load himself in the barrier stalls.
"If it hadn't been for the starting blanket, we'd have sent him home," said co-trainer Stephen McKee on Saturday.
"He nearly destroyed himself in the gates at home a while back. He was so bad it put him back for a long time."
Even with the starting blanket Millennium took his time getting into the barriers on Saturday then did not want to walk into the much smaller unsaddling berth after winning.
"Once he's in there he's okay," said winning rider Peter Johnson, who got away with murder in front.
This was no fluke win. It was one of the better Guineas victories.
You cannot underline strongly enough how horses do not win Guineas races not only one start out of maidens but with only one start behind him.
Millennium had one 800m barrier trial and a 1200m maiden win against ordinary opposition to fit himself for this race.
Even more important, leaders had not been able to win in the previous five races on the programme apart from juvenile debut winner Centennial, who was lengths better than the opposition.
"He's a very, very good horse," said Johnson.
And there is nothing wrong with his constitution.
"He's probably looking better this morning than he did yesterday morning before the race," said McKee.
"He's obviously well up to copping all the pressure that's been thrown at him."
There is enormous improvement in Millennium, who will now almost certainly take on the Waikato Guineas.
"That will give him a left-handed start in anticipation of a start in the Bayer Classic."
The sit-and-sprint scenario set up by Peter Johnson made it very difficult for back runners to make ground and Hawkes Bay Guineas winner Singalong was disadvantaged.
Surprisingly, Singalong jumped one length clear of the field, but rider Noel Harris took her back beyond mid-field. While happy enough Singalong has not had her natural racing pattern disturbed, Harris acknowledges the filly may have been better a few places closer to the speed.
Trainer Stephen Autridge told Harris to ride his own race and had no argument with the effort, but would have liked to have seen her closer.
"When you get an advantage like that you should hang on to at least part of it."
Linda Ballantyne says one day Rebel is going to get the better of her.
He didn't on Saturday and the pair took a bold first-up win in the $35,000 Montana Wines Challenge Stakes.
"You spend all your time out there outthinking him," Ballantyne, enjoying one of the better spells of her career.
"One day he'll get the better of me, but at the moment I'm staying in front."
Ballantyne covered some extra ground on the home turn taking Rebel into the race, but excused herself quickly.
"Mark Sweeney pushed me out three and four wide and he said "Sorry" later."
Rebel looked a lot trimmer than when he resumed racing last spring, but there can't help but be improvement in him.
He has a minor ligament problem and part-owner Norm Atkins was keen to see the leg's progress.
The other big improver is Bluebird The Word, who made a race of it with Rebel right up to the last few strides.
"I'd love to ride him in a 2000m race in a couple of starts from now," said first-time rider Mark Du Plessis.
Racing: Millennium dashes home in Guineas
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