Racing: Potential star in ascent after strong effort

There is always an emerging stayer to be found in New Zealand.

Tinseltown was terrific in winning Saturday's $100,000 DHL Counties Cup, but you have to say the field behind him was perhaps a length or two down on previous levels of some of our top spring and summer handicaps.

A couple of hours earlier, Prairie Star showed what most have always known, that she would eventually step up to fill one of those staying gaps at the top.

Prairie Star was the winner of two races before the $25,000 Franklin Long Roofing 1600, but had raced just 14 times and has always been a work in progress.

The way she powered to the line under Matt Cameron after having to work into the clear early in the run home, it's obvious that work is nearly over.

Prairie Star is a credit to the way Anne Herbert has nursed her through and the High Chaparral body has filled out to impressive dimensions.

"I can't wait to get her up over 2000m," said Herbert afterwards.

Many of our top staying races are at 2100m and 2200m, but Herbert does not see that as an issue for Prairie Star.

From his inside gate in the Counties Cup, Tinseltown was going to be beaten only by bad luck. That didn't eventuate and there was a suggestion there was fuel left as Tinseltown easily worked away from the opposition from the 300m.

The win was final confirmation for 38-year-old Andrew Clarken, who is doing a fine job since taking over as co-trainer with Mike Moroney at the Matamata stables at the start of this season. Clarken had himself wondering in the early months.

"With all the rain we'd had things weren't happening and I was starting to scratch my head.

"I asked myself if I was working them too hard, then a saw a couple of the other leading trainers scratching their heads with all the rain and I realised I wasn't doing too bad.

"I've worked with Mike [Moroney] a lot through the years and I know what he likes, so it's following a pattern.

"The horse flesh is definitely here, it's just a matter of getting the best out of them."

He didn't have a particularly hard run, so Tinseltown has come through the race nicely.

Clarken said the Waikato Cup on December 11 is a possible target, but has not been settled on.

"I'll have to talk it through with Mike."

Six O'Clock News chased Tinseltown without ever looking likely to pick him up and was just as easily second from outsider He's Heroic, with Minqar Qaim showing he was up to the class by running fourth.