Racing: We Can Say It - $1m for grabs

Keep the Peace (right) needs a close up finish in today's A$300,000 Matriarch Stakes at Flemington. Photo / APN

The week's internationalisation of horse racing can continue with We Can Say It Now in today's $1 million 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.

Americain, winner of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, was American/Irish bred, trained by a Frenchman and ridden by a French jockey who has spent two decades riding in Hong Kong.

We Can Say It Now can continue the sensational start Starcraft has made to his stud career.

Starcraft is New Zealand-bred, was owned in Australia and raced in New Zealand, Australia, France, England and the United States.

His Australian owner Paul Makin made his money professional punting in Japan and now spends much of his time in Hong Kong.

Makin owns chestnut filly We Can Say It Now, who will be ridden by a South African in Mark Du Plessis.

It would be fitting if the 2000 Guineas winner was by a stallion who created massive interest when he came to New Zealand in 2004 to contest the Hastings spring treble.

Starcraft had a remarkable career.

His 3-year-old career was highlighted by winning the 2400m AJC Derby.

At four he came to New Zealand to score group one victories in the Mudgway Stakes and Stony Bridge Stakes.

He then launched a European campaign under Luca Cumani and won the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp and the group one Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Makin is nothing if not a gambler and agreed to pay the US$800,000 late entry fee for Starcraft to run in the Breeders Cup Classic at New York's Belmont track.

It was Starcraft's first look at a dirt track, which most turf horses can't manage, and he finished seventh, later to be voted World Champion Older Turf Miler.

He will carry a little bit of himself onto the Riccarton turf today when We Can Say It Now attempts a million-dollar purse.

It's almost fitting.

Americaine will be on the mind of Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie when he produces New Zealand mare Keep The Peace into today's A$300,000 Matriarch Stakes at Flemington. Keep The Peace probably needs a close-up finish to guarantee an invitation to run in the 2400m Hong Kong Bowl next month.

A clear-cut win would look better today for the connections because Americain is one of the horses Keep The Peace will face in Hong Kong.

The Matriarch field does not look impossible to beat, but the outside barrier at the 2000m will take some overcoming.

That job will fall to Michael Walker, who has been riding well in Melbourne lately.