Racing: Salvatore finally grows up

Salvatore. Photo / Christine Cornege

The former nervous wreck has finally grown up.

Salvatore looked like Mr Composed in winning Saturday's $70,000 Stella Artois Tauranga Stakes.

The only sign that the winner of his last three races in dashing style showed on Saturday that he is possibly still a bit jumpy was when he became a little upset as the crowd applauded at the victory presentation.

"He used to be a lot worse," said trainer Anne Herbert.

"He's not a horse you can growl at - he'll shrink if you do."

Out on the racetrack there are never any signs that Salvatore is anything but an on-to-it grown up.

His composure sitting in the one-one in fourth spot to the 500m on Saturday was complete.

He had the race won a long way out and the $2.60 that looked a touch short beforehand was overs on the home bend.

Herbert said that she had previously been loath to run him on track too firm.

"He jarred up with those hard tracks we had over the Christmas period last year. He would get sore in the shoulders and he's never had great feet either.

"For that reason we get the blacksmith to leave a lot of foot on him and we don't clench him up tightly with the shoes.

"He used to tend towards carrying a fair bit of fat, because he's a good eater, but more recently he seems to have muscled right up and there's not much fat on him at all."

Salvatore, who has still had only 26 race starts, will run next in either the $70,000 Eagle Technology Stakes at Ellerslie on November 27 or the $200,000 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham a week later.

"It won't be both," said Herbert.

He was never going to trouble the winner, but popular veteran Te Aroha galloper Sir Slick, who bounded home into second from last at the 600m to take his earnings to past the $2 million point, could win soon.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

Oh no, not again

Zimbabwe is a long way from Christchurch.

Perhaps not quite far enough away for Mark Du Plessis and Christchurch is definitely too close to the South African's North Island home base.

There won't be a photo of Riccarton on Du Plessis' wall.

It started out being Du Plessis' least favourite track early in his New Zealand days when he was in front in a race in blizzard conditions when you couldn't see the horse's ears and he mistook the 200m mark for the winning post.

You couldn't blame him, you couldn't see the winning post.

He was beaten and paid the price with the red card.

Then last week, We Can Say It Now was late scratched from the $1 million 2000 Guineas and Metrop ride Roi D'Jeu got into more trouble than any other horse on the day.

On Saturday, We Can Say It Now was the biggest certainty beaten, you will see, when she copped a check in the 1000 Guineas that would have floored an elephant. It was all going to come right on Roi D'Jeu in the NZ Cup.

Du Plessis could not have ridden him better and he was beaten a long head, a nose and a head.

They say the most important thing in life is waking up each morning. That can't have been pleasant yesterday.

Baker Street

Murray Baker has always said he can't win at Riccarton.

He and son Bjorn took the stable's two best fillies to Riccarton, We Can Say It Now and Twilight Savings and couldn't win a race. As they say, bad luck beat Phar Lap.

Give him a medal

No, make that a statute. Sir Slick, $2 million, 130 starts and still going. If he's not New Zealand's most sound horse, you'd like to own whoever was.
Looked good

Matt Cameron winning three on end at Tauranga - St Beune, Salvatore and Celtic Fantasy, and did it perfectly each time.

Honourable mention

David Walsh being beaten a long head and a nose on Zabene in the NZ Cup. Had the bottle to let the horse slide around to sit handy when caught wide. It takes guts and it nearly paid off.

Back these

* Once More: Took a while to win one, but came from second-last to do it on Saturday. That won't be the last.
* Our Squeezer: Sat deep before showing a ton of grit to win first up.
* Chivas Regal: Eight wide on the home bend, but kept coming strongly. Will win soon.
* Make A Wish: Ran into a top effort from Loviste. Narrowly beaten and the rest were well behind.
* St Beune: Predictable win after he landed in the trail. Should go on with it.
* The Terminator: Ambled around the field on the home bend like he was at a picnic. Will get better and better.
* Shantaine: Blinkers did the trick and she refused to yield when pressed in the closing stages. Plenty more in store.
* On The Level: Nearly on the golf course he was pushed so wide on the home bend. Beaten by a smart one and never stopped trying. Good work for a 3-year-old.

Sack these

* Time Keeper: Didn't go a bad race for third, but had every chance and looks six lengths off his best at the moment.
* Sweet Suitor: For the time being only. Weak late at Riccarton and probably needs freshening. Too good not to come back.

Choked down

Haere Mai raced too keenly outside the leader at Riccarton and Opie Bosson felt the horse choked on his tongue.

Gottcha

Stewards earned their money.

When interviewed on Trackside Television on Saturday morning, chief steward Cameron George said he hoped jockeys would do their job and stewards, in turn, would do theirs.

Saturday ended 6 - nil to stewards.

You can make that 8 - nil if you take into account the two suspensions handed out to Noel Harris and Catherine Lunn on Saturday morning from inquiries held over from last Wednesday.

At Tauranga, stewards handed down four-day suspensions to Sam Collett and Allan Peard and five-day suspensions to Harry Kasim and Jason Jago.

At Riccarton, Darryl Bradley copped five racedays and Hayden Tinsley two weeks for his part in the abortive last 150m of the 1000 Guineas.

Go Santa

Looking for a tip -ask the little fat bloke in the red suit.

As part of the Christmas At The Races promotion at Tauranga on Saturday, Santa dedicated his red cap to one jockey to wear in each race.

He didn't do bad with three winners: Benedict, Once More and Celtic Fantasy.

Go Bootsie

Mark Sweeney got Lamrighini home by a whisker at Te Awamutu yesterday, first day back after serious leg injuries. Bootsie was pretty fit to get the horse home in a desperate fight with Matt Cameron and Insurgent.