Racing: Secret's out on Darci

Darci Brahma and Michael Walker showed their style in the 1000m trial. Picture / Simon Baker

Someone had an inkling that Darci Brahma was going to steal the show at yesterday's Te Teko trials.

In the previous 24 hours two separate $1000 bets were placed on the Danehill colt for the Mudgway Parts World Stakes on September 2. The first was at $7, the second at $6, and they both looked great value after Darci Brahma's 1000m trial cakewalk.

TAB bookie Peter McPadden, on track for yesterday's season opener, was straight on the phone to his boss Paul Lally to reel Darci Brahma's Hawkes Bay odds in. After Seachange had attracted a swag of money on the back of her fresh-up weekend win, Darci Brahma is now the Mudgway favourite at $4.50.

Mark and Michael Walker, Darci Brahma's trainer and jockey respectively, were throwing the superlatives around after their experiment to try the four-year-old in blinkers had produced an electric win over Kristov and Mandela.

"He's so much more developed this time in and he's coming up a treat," said the trainer.

"He came round the bend under a hold, one smooch and it was all over," added the jockey. "He's heaps stronger. No way will he look out of place against those Australian horses any more."

Kristov, the horse with the steely smile while his broken jaw mends, was travelling just as well at the finish, while Mandela thrilled his new trainer Richard Yuill with his bold effort.

Darci Brahma and Kristov will both have another trial outing, at Taupo in two weeks' time, before the Mudgway.

"He's definitely headed to the Mudgway, but what happens after that will depend a lot on the weather," said Mark Walker. "He's no certainty to run in the Kelt [October 7].

The Richard Otto-trained Atapi did his Mudgway prospects no harm with a narrow win in the other open 1000m heat. In a blanket finish he scored by a head from Maroofity, with Arlingtonboulevard, Shikoba and Wahid right in line next.

Taranaki trainer Allan Sharrock was anything but concerned with Wahid's fifth placing.

"Beautiful," he said. "That was just a warm-up, no blinkers, no pressure, so he'll improve a lot with the trip up here."

The day turned into something of a Te Akau Stables benefit when Melbourne Cup hope Zarius got up for a narrow win in the open 1200m heat and last season's early two-year-old star Don Garcia scored an impressive come-from-behind win over stablemate Redbreb in a three-year-old heat over 1000m.

Zarius, whose last start was his third placing in the Auckland Cup, will follow his stablemates to the Taupo trials before priming up for the Kelt Capital Stakes.

Auckland Cup winner Pentane was given a very quiet trial in Darci Brahma's heat, Opie Bosson content to drop him out early and let him follow the field throughout.

* Revised market for the Mudgway Stakes: $4.50 Darci Brahma, $5 Seachange, $7 Wahid, $11 Kristov, $12 Baldessarini, $14 Calveen, other $20+.