Racing: Giant upset in Te Awamutu Cup

In equine terms Danz Star is a giant.

In human terms his co-trainer Tim Carter is the same.

Together they make an imposing sight looming out of the gloom of a Cambridge winter morning.

The fortunate thing is that Danz Star moves better than his trainer.

The former Hong Kong galloper has sound, athletic legs, while Tim Carter's body has not recovered from playing 20 games for the NZ Maori rugby team.

Danz Star ended nearly two years of losing form with a $22 upset victory in Saturday's $30,000 Wines and Spirits Te Awamutu Cup and that did not surprise Tim Carter.

"We haven't been able to get his blood right for those two years.

"He's been very, very anaemic and it's only in this current preparation that his blood has come right."

Weight has been a problem for the horse.

Not on his back, on his entire frame.

"We haven't been able to get the fat off him.

"He slid just under the 600kg for the first time in a while for this race."

That extra edge of fitness for a change showed when Danz Star kept going strongly for Trudy Thornton to narrowly defeat another relative outsider in Point Guard by a long neck with topweight Pindy a game third under 58kg.

Tim Carter says it's all go forward now Danz Star is back in full health.

"We'll press on to the Taumarunui Cup at Te Rapa then look at some of those 2000 - 2100m around in the spring."

Danz Star's form does not suggest it, but Carter believes the horse is

not just a mudder.

"I believe he'll manage the spring tracks."

My Lips Ar Sealed is only a few weeks away from being officially 10 years old, but it didn't look that way when he disposed of the favourite Irish Colleen and visitor Woodbury Lane in the sprint.

The Jason Collett apprentice allowance helped for sure, but it brought him down only to virtual level weights with Irish Colleen and he beat her a clear two lengths.

A handful of people in this world are too tough to die.

Johnny Hayes was almost one of them.

Cancer claimed the life of the former northern jockey Saturday, a couple of years after the medical profession told him he had, at best, three months.

John Hayes spent his apprenticeship in Te Aroha with Kevin Cullen, who won't mind this story being retold.

Halfway through Hayes' apprenticeship Cullen caught him drinking in a local pub one afternoon.

Told if he was caught again he was "for it".

A few days later he was "for it".

Cullen tells the story that he held Hayes up against the wall of a horsebox.

"You were told weren't you?"

"Yes."

"Any reason why I shouldn't belt you?"

"No."

"I had to put him down, he was too tough and too honest," said Cullen later.

John Hayes was a greatly under-rated rider.

Evidence of that is that astute former New Zealand trainer Brian Smith took him to Australia as his stable rider for a time. The fact Smith's other exports/imports were leading jockeys Maree Lyndon, Shane Dye and Lisa Cropp, tells you Hayes deserved some respect.

If he had a fault it was that he probably didn't make full use of what

was a pretty substantial talent.

As a result he will probably be remembered as one of racing's battlers.

His fight with cancer proved he was certainly that in other areas.

But in racing terms he was a lot more.

If you can, watch Trackside just after mid-day today when Puttanesca's US$750,000 American Oaks bid at Hollywood Park will be shown.

Co-trainer Wayne Hillis said Glen Boss was delighted with the Matamata filly's gallop last week and he is expecting a big effort.

The race will be run at about 10.00 this morning.