Racing: Victory teases appetite for tilt at $1m Kelt

If Bill Borrie runs to form as closely as his class mare Miss Potential does, he will pay the $45,000 late entry fee tomorrow for the $1 million Kelt Capital Stakes.

Yesterday Borrie hadn't made up his mind and said it would have to be a left-field call.

Borrie lives in left field.

Who else would have even thought about bringing Miss Potential back to the racetrack after she suffered a spiral fracture of a cannon bone and had to be strung up to the roof of her box for 16 weeks?

How much would a retirement decision at that point have denied New Zealand racing?

And this is the man who promised his wife last spring he would bring Miss Potential back to New Zealand after the Cox Plate without another Australian race.

When travel arrangements became tangled he entered the mare for the A$500,000 Nestle Classic and Miss Potential beat the champion filly Alinghi.

"Promises made when you're drunk or in bed don't count," he said even before Miss Potential returned to the birdcage.

As he basked in the glory of winning Saturday's $150,000 Stoney Bridge Stakes with Miss Potential, Borrie yesterday was giving all the reasons why he might and might not contemplate the Kelt Capital.

The sticking point is his plan to fly Miss Potential to New South Wales to be mated, then to possibly look at a race or two in Australia before retirement.

"The club has certainly asked me to consider running in the Kelt.

"It would be wonderful to bow out of New Zealand racing in the country's richest race - it might also be foolhardy.

"I need time to think about it. I had planned to mate her sooner rather than later.

"You can come up with all the sensible reasons why she should run in the Kelt, but common sense may have to prevail."

Within minutes Borrie was on a different tack.

"I've done rash things before, in fact, every day is a rash day. Only boring old farts do the predictable."

It sounds like a dollar each-way bet at the moment and the two influencing factors will almost certainly be Miss Potential's condition after Saturday's race and Borrie's wife, Carrie.

"I suppose the sensible thing would be to consult the wife," he joked.

Miss Potential's truly remarkable constitution will almost guarantee she comes away from the Stoney Bridge in top shape, particularly as she did not have to have a gut-buster to score easily.

And Borrie will have rider Reese Jones in his ear over the Kelt decision.

"I've never felt her so strong and better prepared to run the 2000m of the Kelt," said Jones.

"Before she broke her leg she was a very relaxed mare and when she came back from that she started racing up on the bridle.

"It's only now that she's gone back to relaxing in her races."

Borrie said yesterday he was still not prepared to nominate the Australian-based stallion he has in mind for Miss Potential.

"The deal hasn't been struck and I might have to fly over there on Wednesday and Thursday to finalise the negotiations."

As bright as Miss Potential was yesterday morning, Borrie wanted to wait to see how the mare looks this morning and tomorrow morning before making his Kelt decision.

Miss Potential was the Stoney Bridge winner a long way from the winning post.

When Michael Walker on Maroofity decided not to attack her lead and was content to sit on the mare's hindquarters rather than her shoulder, Reese Jones had the luxury of dictating his own pace.

"When they leave her alone like that, nothing could ever sprint her home," said Jones.

Borrie wishes he'd known how confident his rider was on the home bend. Borrie could feel the excitement welling up because he knew if he was successful he would rate the win on a par with the career highlight of Miss Potential winning her first group one after breaking her leg.

"I knew she was well, but I didn't know how much energy she had used up getting across to the rail at the start of the race.

"This was a very special win."

You can make no excuses for the rest, but there were a couple of useful efforts. Irish Rover went huge given the firm track; in finishing third Magnetism proved he was back on track after a shocker in the Mudgway, Balmuse had the excuse of sitting three wide without cover and Skinko Prince, seemingly out of his class, was slow away and made ground late from last for a real eye-catcher.

Breakthrough

* Miss Potential's $150,000 Stoney Bridge Stakes win on Saturday has her connections thinking about the $1 million Kelt Capital.

* The classy mare has not been nominated and a $45,000 late entry fee would be required.

* Owner Bill Borrie has until tomorrow to make that decision.

* Miss Potential was runner-up to Starcraft in the Mudgway and Stoney Bridge last season and was second again in this year's Mudgway, this time to Xcellent.

* She was left alone in front on Saturday and scored easily.