Racing: Shikoba's relaxing summer too much for Pulcinella as winning run continues

Shikoba has that priceless quality that turns very good horses into outstanding staying racehorses - relaxation.

Leith Innes has no doubt that was the difference between Shikoba and arch-rival Pulcinella in yesterday's $100,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal Stakes.

Innes was quick to liken Shikoba to former outstanding filly Taatletail after Shikoba easily outstayed Pulcinella.

"She's like Taatletail, who I won three races on. She jumps, relaxes and waits for you to tell her when to pour in the petrol."

That was the scenario yesterday.

Shikoba looked like she was out for a quiet trackwork romp when she lobbed along midfield, while the similarly classy Pulcinella was fighting rider Noel Harris.

"She was fired up before the start today and I knew if she jumped out and fired up I'd be in trouble," said Noel Harris.

"It took me half the race to get her to settle down and I could see Shikoba two places ahead just going to sleep."

Harris wanted to be on the winner's back coming into the last 700m.

"I was tracking Twinkling, who was behind Shikoba - I wanted to be where Twinkling was."

The class of Shikoba showed when Innes moved her out three deep without cover coming up to the home turn then again in the way she stretched and put her head down in the home straight.

"When I went for her in the home straight she was jogging.

"I had one eye looking outside me for Noel because I knew he'd be coming, but he was never going to come quick enough."

Shikoba is already an extremely valuable filly - if she wins a 3-year-old race in Australia that value will more than double.

One of trainer Mark Walker's greatest talents is being one of racing's most careful planners but he would not be drawn on Shikoba's autumn plans. "But she has to have a break at some stage."

As expected, Twinkling appreciated the step up to 2000m and fought strongly for her third.

There were no excuses for the rest.

* Lance O'Sullivan's task in getting Pentane to the post for the Auckland Cup in March just got a whole lot easier.

Victory for the highly promising young stayer in the Dunstan Feeds Championship Final meant more than a first prize of $30,000.

It also carried automatic qualification for the $600,000 Auckland Cup in nine weeks' time.

That clause means O'Sullivan does not have to worry about finding opportunities to lift the four-year-old's ratings and ensure a start in the 3200m feature.

Pentane could have struggled had he not won yesterday's race.

He had a rating of 82 before winning yesterday and according to senior handicapper Dean Nowell will climb to about 90 with his latest win.

That is still below the lowest-rated open-class horses, and even if Pentane was to win again at short notice he would still be in a luxurious position in the handicap for the big one.

"All I know at this stage is that he's safely in the Auckland Cup," said O'Sullivan. "Where he races on the way there is something we'll work out as we go."

The way that Pentane has taken to middle-distance racing gives every impression that the ultimate flat distance will also be right to his liking.

Three starts ago he produced a late finishing burst to win over 1600m, then stepped up to 2100m for a fast closing second.

Yesterday Pentane's chances of success appeared grim when he was well smothered back on the fence.

But a decision by rider Chad Ormsby to opt for a rails gap in the straight paid off with a one-length win over Mac Five.

"Winning this race is great, but it's a dream come true to think that he's already in the field for the Auckland Cup," said elated part-owner Peter Fraher.

The Pentire gelding is a third-generation member of a family that Fraher and his brother Mike have been breeding from for some 30 years.

They first got a taste of what might be in store when Pentane beat another Pentire gelding, Xcellent, in a trial as a spring three-year-old.

While Xcellent has gone on to win four group-one races including the New Zealand Derby, Pentane has had a lower-key introduction to racing.

But his latest campaign of three wins from just seven starts had the stamp of a horse that will not be out of place when he lines up at the elite level in the Auckland Cup.