Racing: Stud value soars as record smashed

Pay Me Christian and David Butt were six lengths clear of the field at Ballarat. Picture / Gary Wild

MELBOURNE - What Pay Me Christian did at Ballarat on Saturday night was more than just smash a track record.

It was advertising money could never buy.

The New Zealand pacer left a huge crowd and rival horsemen shaking their heads when he turned his Australian debut into a one-horse race in a heat of the Victoria Derby.

The much-hyped hero was always going to win the 2200m event, but even his biggest fans would not have expected him to win untouched by six lengths, setting a track record and assuring himself of hot favouritism in this week's A$125,000 Derby.

It was one of the more graphic displays of pacing power this season, a statement by his connections that anything less than a Derby win will mean this trip is a failure.

But while punters loved the performance, those who watched the closest may have been Victorian breeders.

Pay Me Christian is already valued at $1 million after giant stud Nevele R purchased a 50 per cent share in him last month.

His impeccable breeding and record on the track mean he could have retired last month and still have been a commercial sire.

But the power of his performance on Saturday will have given that stud career - not matter how far away it is - a huge boost.

Because the harness racing world has been going crazy for his sire Christian Cullen, it is only a matter of time before breeders take the next step and look for one of his sons as the heir to the extremely lucrative throne.

To earn that title a stallion needs to do something freakish on an Australian racetrack to woo their breeders in this semen-transport era.

Christian Cullen did just that in the Miracle Mile, Elsu in last season's Hunter Cup.

Now Pay Me Christian has done it.

"We are very aware of the fact he one day has a stud career to look forward to and wins like that won't hurt," said trainer Paul Kerr matter-of-factly.

"He is a special horse and already we have had people coming out to see what sort of stallion he will make.

"The interest is there and it will only be bigger now."

Pay Me Christian is now only a front-line barrier draw away from starting a $1.60 favourite in the Derby, with only New South Wales pacer Decisive looking a serious threat after Saturday's three heats.

Kerr says while Pay Me Christian does have to lead to win the Derby, he wants him in front.

"Moonee Valley is one of those tracks where being handy is a huge advantage so when they do the draw on Tuesday we will be hoping for something handy.

"It also takes bad luck out of the equation."

Two other Kiwis, Monkey King and Tuherbs, will be in the classic after finishing fourth in their heats.

Monkey Kings trainer Steven Reid is battling to get him back to his peak as the Great Northern Derby winner picked up a slight bug in the last week.

And Tuherbs once again showed himself to the be the great enigma of the crop, fading to fourth after losing a sizzling mid-race speed duel for the lead with Decisive.

Several of the other big guns in the series failed to make the final after settling back on the leaders track, with second heat winner I Am Sam now looking the biggest threat to Pay Me Christian and Decisive.

If Pay Me Christian draws well, the others should be running for second.

FLYING KIWI

* Pay Me Christian stunned Australian harness racing fans at Ballarat on Saturday night.

* The New Zealand pacer will be a hot favourite to win this Saturday's Victoria Derby.

* Delft and Prince Sundon gave New Zealand a clean sweep of the Interdominion trotting heats.

* Howard Bromac was an outstanding second in the night's feature, the Ballarat Cup.