Racing: Stakes set to hit $2m next year

The 2007 Kelt Capital Stakes will definitely be run for a stake of $2 million.

That's still not official, but it is New Zealand's worst-kept secret.

We would have heard that at Hastings on Saturday but for the absence of the driver behind the race, Sam Kelt, who is not yet well enough to attend the races after suffering severe head trauma when physically assaulted at Mt Maunganui two months ago.

Announcing it is not stealing Kelt's kudos, that came on Saturday when we saw the Kelt Capital anchor the biggest ever raceday at Hastings with a combined turnover of $6.45 million.

It is a great credit to Kelt, whose mental brilliance has pulled off one of racing's great coups.

In keeping with those millions, Kelt victor Legs added probably a further million dollars to her broodmare value.

Owners Garry and Mark Chittick and headlining stallion Pins have had a multimillion-dollar season and Lisa Cropp produced a million dollar rails-run ride.

Legs made herself a million-dollar baby when she won the Oaks in January, but winning against the older horses at weight-for-age in New Zealand's richest race is up another level.

Garry Chittick said after the Oaks he didn't care if Legs won another race and he's happy to declare that he now actually means it.

For all his marvellous success on the racetracks, veteran trainer Kevin Gray has not campaigned a horse in Australia and said after his biggest training thrill on Saturday that he hoped Legs would be his first.

But Garry Chittick was inclined yesterday to be against the idea.

The reflective view of the 2006 Kelt Capital is a touch confusing, just as it was pre-race.

It poses as many questions as it answers.

For starters, the inside 3m was new ground from the Stoney Bridge Stakes day two weeks earlier.

No one could ever deny Legs her victory, but if you had a wish list going into the group one Kelt it was to be in the first half of the field and on the inside rail and to be able to make your finishing effort without going wider.

That's exactly the run Lisa Cropp found for Legs. Riders claimed the footing outside the 3m strip was considerably more choppy, and it was significant that only one winner on the day, Jokers Wild, ran the final 300m more than three horse widths off the inside.

And that was only because Michael Coleman was forced wide to find racing room.

"I wanted to make sure I used my inside barrier draw," said Lisa Cropp.

"She's a real darling, as soon as we jumped out and got onto the rail she went to sleep."

Legs is a lovely example of the thoroughbred, but as classy as she looks, her real talent is in her grit and her get-out-of-the-way attitude.

She needed every drop of it when Cropp pointed her towards a needle-eye gap along the inside at the 300m, as she was being buffeted by Sir Slick at the same time.

Some horses will hesitate when its that tight, but she got into the gap and just pulled herself through it.

All the problems Cropp has had with officialdom were forgotten when she spotted the winning post inside the last 200m.

"I could see the race was mine and I said to myself: Can I salute yet."

For safety reasons giving a victory wave before the finish is officially frowned upon, but Cropp couldn't resist a slightly muted attempt.

Kerry O'Reilly, not previously thought of as a weight-for-age horse, flashed home with one of the efforts of the race to take second off Seachange in the closing strides. Wahid finished fourth.

In summation, the three guns were not winning chances - Seachange proved she is better at 1600m than 2040m, although rider Gavin McKeon swears it will be different next year and that she will win the 2007 Kelt.

Wahid proved he needs a track as firm as the main highway to produce his best and Pentane proved nothing when he turned in a shocker that had to be close to 10 lengths off his best.

But racing is not a science and they don't run horse races in lanes. Legs, Kevin Gray, Lisa Cropp and the Chitticks lined up, took their chances and walked away with the cash.

Walking with slightly less spring in their steps were trainer Lance O'Sullivan and Chad Ormsby after Pentane beat only three home.

"He felt dead, he just didn't get fired up," said Ormsby.

Pentane has been heavily backed in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and O'Sullivan was shocked by the performance.

"We're getting a few things checked out," he said.

At this point there is no suggestion of the Australian campaign being in jeopardy.

Gavin McKeon was as delighted with Seachange's performance as he was with her winning efforts in the Mudgway and Stoney Bridge Stakes.

"She travelled beautifully and moved into the race at the right time," McKeon said.

"The difference was that when she challenged this time she was already running on empty. She fought very bravely.

"She isn't quite strong enough as a 4-year-old to see the distance out, but she will be next year, don't worry.

"I'm not taking anything away from Legs, she deserved her win. But she won the Oaks and we didn't get there because of injury, which put her one preparation and a bit of toughness ahead of us."

Wahid looked a heartbeat away from another big win, but it won't happen like that asd Allan Sharrock yesterday decided to spell his Derby winner for two or three weeks.

"I was proud of him yesterday. He proved he needs a rock-hard track and he was probably just short of one hard hitout after all the bad luck he's had in his races this time in.

"He probably peaked on his run at the 200m, but he didn't give it away and fought hard," said Sharrock.

"I've never wanted him to have a big spring as a 4-year-old, which is a tough time for a lot of horses.

"We might look at something over the Christmas racing, or perhaps we may even leave him until the autumn. We're not in any hurry because he'll be a better horse as a 5-year-old next season."

Mikki Street looked more than a little unlucky late in the race, adding further to the belief that in many ways the 2006 Kelt is a head-shaker.

$1 Million Kelt Capital

* Legs scored a dramatic victory in New Zealand's richest horse race.

* Lisa Cropp managed to find the Oaks winner a narrow inside gap, which Legs drove herself through.

* Wahid found the dead track against him and Pentane ran a shocker to beat just three horses home.

* The 2007 Kelt Capital will run for a $2 million stake