By BARRY STREET
Karen Fursdon knew last Tuesday she had a mare fit enough to upset the favourites in the Rotorua Stakes on Saturday.
That was after some heavy rain and a slashing workout by Vee For Victory on a wet grass track at Matamata.
"I didn't even see the gallop," Fursdon said yesterday. "She ran it in a fog so dense I couldn't time her or see a thing.
"But Vinny [Colgan] told me she licked along and felt really good. That convinced me she was on target."
Despite an impressive wet-track form background, Vee For Victory was at 24 to 1 for the $30,000 listed 1400m for fillies and mares.
No doubt that was because she had never won beyond grade events and was lacking recent racing.
"She'd only had the one run this time up [over 1200m at Ellerslie in April]," Fursdon said, "but she'd been in work for a long time waiting for rain.
"When the tracks are wet and loose, like yesterday, she grows another leg."
Vee For Victory reeled in the two best-backed runners, Zabeel's Angel and Atta Glance, and went to the line handily clear of Arlanda and Marasie, who both made strong late runs.
An open sprint at the Great Northern carnival could be Vee For Victory's next race, Fursdon said.
"On the other hand, she likes her races well spaced, so I could look to another race beyond that. It all depends on how well she comes through this one."
Typical of the stock of her sire, Victory Dance, Vee For Victory had strengthened and come good with age, Fursdon said.
She is the third recent group or listed winner by Victory Dance. The others are Cinder Bella and Bel Air.
Victory Dance must now be regarded as the best-value sire in New Zealand, having reached the top half-dozen sires this season with stock he sired for no more than a $2750 service fee.
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The Colin Jillings and Richard Yuill stable of Takanini cannot hope to lead the New Zealand trainers' premiership for much longer. It is running out of ammunition.
Three-year-old Kakaho won in style again for the partnership at Hastings last Thursday, though not nearly as impressively as his 3-year-old stablemate Pyramus did for a fourth win for the season at Rotorua on Saturday.
But Kakaho and Pyramus are destined for spells after their next races, at the Great Northern carnival at Ellerslie, leaving their team with only about 10 runners.
Three of their stablemates, Love Song, Kat Ballou and Miss Pollyanna, were dropped off at spelling paddocks after racing at Rotorua on Saturday.
"The Graeme Rogerson-Keith Hawtin team had more runners at the Te Aroha trials last Thursday than we have in our stable," Yuill said yesterday. "That tells us we'll get killed with numbers.
"Still, we've had a good trot and an excellent strike rate. It's also been exciting watching promising young horses coming through the ranks."
Pyramus had "cup horse" written all over him when making a winning middle-distance debut at Ellerslie nearly a month ago.
He emblazoned that brightly when careering away with a class three 1900m on Saturday by five and a quarter lengths.
"Even then, Lance O'Sullivan said he didn't feel like a wet-weather galloper," Yuill said.
"We expected him to get away with an off track because his sire, Beau Zam, and dam, Gull Mundur, both handled it soft.
"But Lance said he didn't feel comfortable."
Racing: Vee For Victory leaves rivals in Rotorua Stakes mudpool
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