By MIKE DILLON
Rebel is noticing a big difference in his training track this week.
The class act has been switched to Moira Murdoch's stable and his training facility has gone from the 800m harness track at Kumeu to a dead straight 4km beach at Waiuku.
Rebel's changed environment has been made to take the pressure off a leg problem he developed in Australia last year.
The big winner got away with preparing at Kumeu for his outstanding first-up win at Ellerslie two weeks ago, but there was always going to be a limit to how much his leg could sustain training on the tight circuit there.
Rebel's trainer Ron Langsford asked his wife Val to send the horse to Moira Murdoch just before his recent death.
"It's what Ron wanted and it makes sense to have him trained on the beach," said Val Langsford.
"He has settled in well out there and is on track to run in the Deutz Stakes at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup day."
Running 1600m in his first start start following a lengthy break was a tough assignment, but Langsford says the horse has come through it well.
"He's fine and we've nominated him for the Hong Kong International meeting in December."
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Lee Rutherford will have her first New Zealand ride in two and a half years at Counties Cup day on Saturday week.
The talented former Takanini jockey has returned from riding in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia because she says: "Home is always home."
The former champion New Zealand apprentice relocated to Macau when Nigel Tiley moved his training base from Takanini three years ago.
She rode there for 18 months then moved to the Singapore and Malaysia circuit.
Rutherford injured a knee in a trackwork fall in Singapore six weeks ago.
As the Singapore racing season ends in December, she figured the timing was right to take advantage of competing in the big late spring and early summer races in New Zealand.
"I have decided not to renew my licence for the new Singapore season," she said yesterday.
Rutherford has always been a quality rider and says she has learned a lot in three years overseas.
"I have gained a lot of experience.
"It's been good and I've really enjoyed it.
"Financially it's been rewarding and studying the different riding styles of the international riders has been fascinating."
She says she rode 60-70 winners during the two and a half years.
"I probably had slightly better luck in Malaysia than in Macau.
Rutherford rode close to 400 winners before leaving New Zealand and topped the apprentice premiership in the 1995-96 season.
Her biggest wins and the highlights of her career so far are the group one Thorndon Mile on Winning Wave and the New Zealand Cup on Lord Peregrene.
The 27-year-old says she has made no definitive decisions on her long term future, only that she is happy to ride here until something better comes along.
"I could be riding here two or three years from now, unless I got a really good overseas offer.
"At the moment I'm just happy to be back in New Zealand."
Rutherford began riding trackwork at Takanini on Monday morning and is supplementing her fitness training with running.
A natural lightweight, she can ride comfortably at 50kg.
There should be no shortage of opportunities for someone of Rutherford's talent at that level
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Outstanding mare Hill Of Grace is now rated clearly New Zealand's best Caulfield Cup chance.
She was at 7-1 in Melbourne yesterday with Fairway shortening to 3-1 favouritism. The field will be finalised today.
Racing: Rebel heads for the beach; Rutherford returns home
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