Racing: Stars came out for multimillion Derby

Keep The Peace will attempt the A$400,000 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

The million-dollar sign around Ellerslie races is over for another year and the million-dollar question now is will we see them again any time soon?

We won't know for four months or more, but it's $1.01 that the Telecom Derby won't be $2.2 million or anything like it.

The three-year Government funding that allowed the handful of New Zealand races to put up $1 million or more is over.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing's funding policy is not out until June, after which clubs can then tweak their own finances and come up with their 2011-12 stakemoney schedule.

It was inevitable that with no Australian horses in either the $2.2 million Derby or $1 million Stella Artois Auckland Cup, the knockers would be out in force with "you'd have got the same field for half that stakemoney".

Two things - A: When Winston Peters forced the Government's hand into the three-year funding it wasn't a case of asking the Auckland Racing Club: 'How much do you want to make your Derby for?' It was: 'It's $2.2 million or kiss my foot'. The man holding the bagpipes plays the tune.

B: Were the knockers making the same statement five months ago before they saw the nominations. Don't forget Zavite came over for Anthony Cummings last year and cleaned up the Cup opposition. You can't call for nominations and decide on the stakemoney after you've seen them.

Hindsight has always been the crutch of experts.

There is a much more important point around all this apart from just whether we did or did not get Australian horses and that's the wider publicity the Derby received internationally because of the $2.2 million. We saw a handful of some of the best international jockeys deeming it desirable to ride in the race, including 10-time Hong Kong premiership winner Douglas Whyte.

For the past 10 years Whyte has been riding every week for massive money in Hong Kong, but wanted to ride in our Derby, and not on a particularly fancied runner either.

You can't buy that level of credibility.

Sky Television's David Raphael brought his camera crew to New Zealand for the entire three days of the carnival - how much worldwide publicity is that?

The $2.2 million for one race had to have something to do with it.

It's called respect.

There's a decent reason why we didn't see Australian stars here for the Cup and Derby - they pretty much haven't got any and the handful they've got have plenty of money to run around for.

Who's heard of Monday's 3200m Adelaide Cup winner?

They almost went around without names.

And don't forget the Australian 3-year-olds are so thin on the ground that New Zealand filly We Can Say It Now started favourite in the Australian Guineas, something that would have been unheard of up to a year or so ago.

She was favourite from the time of nominations until the gates opened and it's a tragedy she's had to be retired because of respiratory issues.

And Shocking, much more a handicapper than a weight-for-age star, made them look ordinary in running away with Saturday's Australian Cup, a race that has some outstanding weight-for-age stars on its honours board.

There has probably never been a better time to try to win some big dollars in Australia and New Zealand mare Keep The Peace will attempt that in Saturday's A$400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.

Trainer Shaune Ritchie said yesterday the mare had settled in well and he expected her to be a big player in the race under James McDonald.

"The previous two occasions she's been to Australia she's never quite been at her best.

"She had a cold when she ran in last year's AJC Derby and when she went to Melbourne for that good third in the Matriarch Stakes in the spring she was coming off three hard races in the Hastings treble.

"This is the first time she's come here when she's been trained specifically for the Australian races."

Two of the main dangers in the Ranvet are expected to be Maluckyday and Descarado.

Maluckyday, second to Americain in the Melbourne Cup, is arguably Australia's most talented rising stayer.

"They've forecast a few showers late in the week," said Ritchie. "Interestingly, Maluckyday, Descarado and my mare can all handle a wet track if it came to that."

Maluckyday finished only sixth in the too-short 1600m Chipping Norton Stakes at his sole start in preparation, but is fitter for Saturday and will appreciate the extra distance.