Racing: Spirit of 'Fred' behind offspring's win

Davina Waddell is one of racing's good sorts.

She says what she thinks, and does so with brutal honesty.

Which is why she was happy to say, during her victory speech for Just The Man's Great Northern victory on Saturday, that she had originally opposed the idea of moving the Great Northerns from Queen's Birthday Weekend.

"Now I believe in it," she said.

She also has no problems with an unorthodox approach.

The thought of a no-nonsense, pragmatic horsewoman talking to the spirit of a dead horse somehow doesn't quite sit right.

In the early 1980s, Waddell trained Just The Man's sire, Isle Of Man, to win the New Zealand Derby, Wellington Derby, Waikato Guineas and Sydney's Rosehill Guineas.

When he retired, after competing in a Japan Cup, Waddell bred a few mares to him.

Fred, as she called him, died of old age a few months back and Just The Man is one of only two horses by him that Waddell has left.

She spent most of Saturday's famous race with her head buried in her hands in the Ellerslie grandstand because she was too nervous to watch.

She took a quick peek between her fingers as the field headed into the back straight on the last of the three laps of the Ellerslie track and saw Just The Man running third to Bart and Bit Of A Myth.

"The other two drew a few lengths clear, but we weren't weakening, it was just that the other two were putting on a bit of a sprint."

Waddell put her head back behind her hands and prayed - "C'mon Fred, you're running out of opportunities to leave a topline horse, please help us."

The only problem Just The Man had from that point was risking the fences on top of the Hill, as he had done on the previous laps.

From there, Jo Rathbone had an easy job as she guided him easily over the last two fences.

The magnum of champagne Waddell was presented with was not wasted. She told the story in the Winners' Circle that when Isle Of Man won the Rosehill Guineas 23 years ago she was presented with a gold tray and 12 gold goblets.

"I said at the time that one day I'll win a race and it'll be appropriate to use those, and they'll get used tonight."

And into the next day - Waddell admitted that staff and friends drank from the goblets until 4am yesterday.

One of the first to congratulate Waddell was Sheryl McGlade, co-trainer of Bart, whom Just The Man had to dispose of coming down the Hill the last time.

"I owe Sheryl a lot. I sent this horse down to her last year and she got him organised.

"She said, 'Don't worry about what this horse does this year, it'll only be a bonus. He'll be a good horse for you one day'."

The firm track played a big part in the victory and Waddell is looking forward to next year with the horse.

"Had this race been run in June I'm sure he wouldn't have been there."

Bart was full of courage, but once again the distance found him out after leading and he was pushed back to third in the last two strides by The Storytella.