Racing: Nothing like a bit of sunshine

Mark Walker is a big advocate of the advantages of having the sun on your back and that's for horses as well as humans.

Walker copped a bit of Queensland sunlight himself when preparing Darci Brahma for his A$500,000 ($540,000) T. J. Smith Brisbane victory during the winter.

But his greatest thrill is that the valuable colt got even more of the rays during a break he gave him in Australia after the race.

The benefit of the post-race Queensland holiday showed in Darci Brahma in his impressive barrier trials win at Taupo on Tuesday.

"That Queensland sun allows them to spell very well and to grow," said the Matamata trainer.

Walker believes the warmer weather even allowed Darci Brahma to hold onto more of his residual fitness from his Australian campaign. He describes the colt as an easy horse to train.

Easy also covers the way Darci Brahma handled his opposition on Tuesday. Despite being out there to have an easy run, the colt's great class saw him move away from the others in the final stages, an effort that greatly impressed rider Michael Walker.

As thrilled as Mark Walker is with Darci Brahma, he has no intention of rushing him.

"I'm going to give him only three races before the end of the year.

"I'll trial him again at Te Teko on September 6 then run him fresh in the Hawkes Bay Guineas. He'll then go to the Wellington Guineas then the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton."

Darci Brahma will then spell for three weeks and be prepared for the A$1 million Cadbury Guineas in Melbourne in the early autumn.

No risks will be taken. If the Trentham track looks like coming up slow or heavy, Walker will ship him to his South Island stable and run him in a 3-year-old race at Rangiora the day after the Wellington Guineas.

"Our stable produced the trifecta in the race two years ago. King's Chapel also spent a fairly long time in the South Island before the 2000 Guineas.

"I'll probably run Darci Brahma in the Waikato Draught sprint at Te Rapa on the way to Melbourne."

Walker says statistics suggest that not over-racing a 3-year-old in the spring is a wise move.

"Traditionally Australian 3-year-olds have a fairly tough spring and a good percentage of them don't come back up in the autumn.

"I want to give Darci Brahma an easy spring and hopefully he'll come back up bigger and stronger early next year."

Walker produced his million dollar Danehill juvenile colt Don Garcia for a three-length win at Taupo.

"He didn't go any time, he was slower than the other heat, but I felt he learned a lot from the experience.

"I don't know how good the opposition was, but he galloped right away from them."

Don Garcia showed similar professionalism in winning at the recent Te Teko trials and Walker feels he is ready to go to the races as soon as the Stoney Ridge Stakes raceday at Hastings on September 17. The colt will then go to the Wellesley Stakes at Trentham before having a break.

The other juvenile heat was won stylishly by Ifonlyihadtime (Postponed-Red Letter Day), trained by the Rogerson-Autridge barn. "There has always been something I liked about him," says Stephen Autridge.