Leith Innes shows his delight as Six O'Clock News heads off Spiro to win the Wellington Cup at Trentham on Saturday. Photo / Getty Images
Will Six O'Clock News' two Trentham wins take pressure off him, or lump a bit more on.
Probably the latter.
For at least an early season in his career, the beautifully-bred Six O'Clock News (Zabeel - Maurine) looked potentially New Zealand's best staying prospect.
Not just in our domestic staying contests - he looked a genuine Melbourne Cup horse.
For much of the past three seasons he's looked more like a horse for the Pirongia Cup.
As much as the Trentham Stakes and Wellington Cup victories are encouraging, finally, there are a couple of more steps forward Six O'Clock News needs to take to live up to that early promise.
His Trentham Stakes win last week was his first in almost exactly three years.
The cynics claimed it wasn't Six O'Clock News at all that won the Trentham Stakes it was Nash Rawiller.
And doubtless Rawiller's no-arguments vigorous style was a big help, but Six O'Clock News backed up on Saturday with an equally dogged staying performance to win the $200,000 Pacific Jewellers Wellington Cup, this time with Leith Innes on his back.
There was a slight tip in the wings this double could happen.
A year earlier, Nash Rawiller finished fourth on Six O'Clock News in the Trentham Stakes with Innes replacing the Australian in the saddle a week later to finish second to Spiro in the Wellington Cup.
If Six O'Clock News could improve from fourth to second a year ago, he could at least maintain winning form under the same jockeys this time.
Co-trainer Natalie Young said after this latest win that there had been a few signs right through this preparation that Six O'Clock News was in better shape in his current campaign than he had been in a number of others.
"He's been galloping really nicely," said Young, who along with partner Trent Busuttin, won the Victoria Derby with Sangster in the spring.
"He's been moving beautifully at Foxton Beach all week.
"He needs dry tracks and the pace on in his races and some of those earlier runs this season were in the wet.
"These runs at Trentham had the speed on and the surface was dry."
Despite being winless for three years, Six O'Clock News had never had any great weight relief.
He carried 56kg on Saturday and his connections are worried that he might get to a level where he won't be competitive in races like the Avondale and Auckland Cups.
"Depending on how he does when he gets home, he might be set for the Brisbane Cup."
Last year's winner Spiro gave a great sight when dashing clear in the straight and although picked up easily enough in the final 75m by Six O'Clock News, he was gallant in finishing second.
The Jungle Boy, who lost a plate in running, finished third.
The huge shock of the race was seeing the $2.60 favourite Green Supreme drop out from the 500m to finish a long last, 17 lengths from the winner and eight lengths from the second last runner.
James McDonald said Green Supreme felt fine until he asked him for a real effort from the 600m at which point McDonald said the classy stayer felt ordinary in his action.
A stewards-ordered veterinary inspection could find nothing amiss with the horse.
Trainer Graham Richardson is scratching his head.
"Horses can do this to you sometimes.
"I'm going to pull him out of the Auckland Cup, freshen him up and possibly have a crack at the Easter at Ellerslie.
"We've got to keep going to see if we can work out what is wrong.
"At the moment I've got no answers."
Trainer John Sargent isn't certain Quintessential will go on towards the Oaks at Trentham in March.
But the TAB isn't taking too many chances that she might, rating her at $10 after her gallant win in Saturday's $70,000 Tiger Prawn Desert Gold Stakes.
"There is a chance she might be set for the Queensland winter carnival instead," said Sargent after Quintessential just outlasted a three-way finish with Capitol Diamond and Artistic.
Dashing Ellerslie winner Silent Achiever is the $5 Oaks favourite ahead of Chicharita on $6, Zurella and Capitol Diamond at $9 with Artistic, who should have won Saturday's race, at $16.
An almost certain Queensland winter candidate will be Saturday's group one $200,000 30-01-2012 14:34:12Harcourts Thorndon Mile victor Say No More.
Cambridge trainer Paul Duncan indicated he would like to now spell Say No More and prepare her and his last season's Oaks winner Midnight Oil for Queensland.
