Racing: Yuill keeps Abbey Drive on target for big prize

Pukekohe trainer Richard Yuill let himself relax a little after Abbey Drive licked clean his feed bin yesterday.

Yuill admits he wasn't thrilled about running the colt with the blue-chip bloodlines on a bog for a $12,000 stake at Rotorua on Saturday.

But with just four weeks left until the 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, Yuill needed the win to keep the Zabeel colt on target for the $300,000 prize.

"I could have run him next week instead, but the Guineas is getting closer all the time," said Yuill.

"It's nice to get it at Rotorua - it takes some of the pressure off and he seems to have come through the race unscathed and pulled up really good."

Assuming a green light from co-owner Peter Vela, Yuill said Abbey Drive flies south on November 5, with a final Guineas tune-up likely in a 3-year-old event on the carnival opener.

Yuill has always rated Abbey Drive up to tackling the best of his age.

Long term, the New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 4 is another target.

"He's still got a lot to learn before then, but at the same time, he's got a lot of time to do it," he said.

Meanwhile, not a lot more will be seen of Rotorua's other 3-year-old winner, Crepe De Chine, until nearer the Railway Handicap on January 1.

On Saturday, trainer Lance O'Sullivan gambled on her win in the group three Lion Red Plate being enough to sneak into the Ellerslie feature.

But Clean Sweep won the same Rotorua race last year before going on to win the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton, yet still got stuck on the Railway ballot.

Wherever she does head next, however, O'Sullivan will have a job prizing his exciting apprentice Chad Ormsby off her back.

Crepe De Chine's gutsy win on a track she was never comfortable on gave the 16-year-old his first group success.