Racing: Out to bury Derby ghost at last

For 18 years one of Catherine Treymane's most vivid memories of the New Zealand Derby has been shrouded in disappointment.

A little after 3.27pm at Matamata today, the former international jockey has a shot at burying that ghost for good.

A win by her stable star Flame Proof in the intermediate 2000 should be enough to scrape into the field for the $500,000 feature at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

Win or lose in the Derby and the Te Aroha trainer finally has a moment to erase the nightmare of 1987 when she was first past the post on Accountant, only to lose the race to Satisfy in the inquiry room.

Flame Proof is owned and bred by Treymane's mother, Anne, who has always dreamed of having a horse good enough to contest the country's premier race for 3-year-olds.

"We've still got a long way to go but it would be a big thrill to have him there," said Treymane.

"The Derby has always been a special race for mum."

Treymane says Flame Proof showed Derby potential long before he pushed the exciting Magnetism to a head on debut at Ruakaka in early October.

He franked that promise with an even more impressive Derby effort in winning next-up over 1600m at Ellerslie a fortnight later.

Flame Proof and today's pilot, Michelle Innes, were clearly headed in the straight by Pelorus Jack that day, but kicked back to win strongly.

That effort suggested the extra 400m The Commander gelding faces at Matamata should suit perfectly.

"He's still not 100 per cent sure about what he should be doing, but I've got no doubt about him coping with the extra distance," said Treymane.

Flame Proof has not run since the end of October, but Treymane is confident that will not affect his race fitness today.

He bounced back from a cold for a narrow but impressive trial win at Paeroa a month later. "Although the cold was a slight setback, he's never missed any work and is pretty fit going into this," said Treymane.

"I'm just praying a win will be enough to get him in the Derby. I wouldn't like to run him again. I don't think he needs to be taxed any more than necessary."

Flame Proof is in 13 gate today and Treymane expects Innes to use the gelding's gate speed and push forward to settle in or near the lead.

Flame Proof was rated a $50 fixed-odds chance on the TAB's Derby market yesterday, with Matamata race rival The Bomb a $35 hope in the same book.

Matamata trainer Lance O'Sullivan also goes into today's meeting needing the richly bred Stand Tall to win the maiden 2000m to be any hope of making the Ellerslie line-up on December 26.

Another trainer using today's meeting as a carnival trial is local Richard Coxon, who has Wellington Cup dreams for Desert Flight, a stand-out chance in the restricted 1600m en-route.

Desert Flight is second-up but has won twice in that state before and Coxon says his lead-up work has been first-class since a fresh-up third to Maroofity at Tauranga.

"The way he's working, I'd be disappointed if he didn't go a good race."