By Mike Dillon
Is it a sign of the times?
If you have not noticed, far and away the biggest percentage of class juveniles you have seen out this season are fillies.
Fillies also have it over the colts in terms of numbers to the races.
Yesterday the Waikato Club ran a 2-year-old fillies race with 10 acceptors, but had to abandon a similar event for colts and geldings when only three entries arrived.
Twenty five 2-year-old races were run in New Zealand in November and December with fillies winning 17 to the colts' eight.
Part of the reason is obvious. We sell a big percentage of our good colts at the yearling sales then, of those who are put into training here, another significant cull comes at the trialling level, mainly of colts, to Australian and Asian buyers.
As Paul O'Sullivan says: "It's difficult to compete with overseas buyers at the sales on any yearling colt that looks like it may run early.
"The ones we've got in our stable are the types that will need time."
While fillies are starting to sell significantly better to overseas markets in the last 12 months, they still represent a much higher percentage of the overall number of horses put into to training in New Zealand than was the case 15 years ago.
The two highest stakearners going into Monday's $400,000 Magic Millions at Trentham are males, Aka Bilk and Quorum, and Buzz Lightyear looked pretty smart in his winning debut, but it is the fillies that spring to mind first.
It is the likes of Tristachine, Superjet, High Grove, Annalee, Catamarca and Shizu who have turned in among the most impressive individual performances.
Generally one horse has stood out in the Magic Millions, but Monday's event should be a thriller.
The fillies might have the edge, though, - Tristachine and Superjet, with four wins and a second from five starts between them, will take some keeping out.
Seven mounts for Munce
Sydney jockey Chris Munce has seven confirmed mounts for Trentham on Saturday.
Munce's considerable talents helped get Bawalaksana home in the Railway and again in the inquiry room at the Ellerslie carnival, but this time the class sprinter will be one of his arch rivals.
Munce rides the newcomer Bahnhof Zoo who, in barrier No 4, will be one inside Bawalaksana.
Bahnhof Zoo gets only 1.5kg off Bawalaksana, but he is a smart up-and-comer who races well fresh and could be the surprise.
Beaten Railway favourite Trans Siberia is better placed in the Telegraph than at Ellerslie, where his luck was shocking.
Munce's other rides are Madhuri Dixit, Harvard Honor, Soap Opera, Modem, Mary Josephine and Fauve.
Johnston rankled
Dud memory of the week goes to English trainer Mark Johnston.
Johnston is rankled his class stayer Double Trigger was again overlooked by the International Classification Board as champion stayer, the title going to Kayf Tara.
"It beggars belief that Double Trigger has never been champion," said Johnston.
"The International Board can reel off all the stats it likes, but I don't think there is a horse in the last decade that could beat Double Trigger over two miles in the mud."
What about the 14 that beat Double Trigger home in the mud in the 1995 Melbourne Cup.
End to Roysyn's frustrations
Twenty months of frustration comes to an end when Roysyn takes on the $100,000 Waikato Draught Sprint at Te Rapa on Saturday week.
Hopefully. Roger James is not counting on it.
Roysyn galloped nicely between races at Te Rapa yesterday to put his long awaited comeback close to reality, but after nearly two years of heartbreak Roger James can take whatever comes along with his Adelaide Cup winner.
A tendon problem in his 4-year-old campaign then a pulled muscle in the spring, frustrated James but a huge smile appeared yesterday.
"That's the most work he's done this campaign," said James after Roysyn finished 1000m wide out in 1.03, the last 600m with stablemate Almelad in 36.5.
If you wondered why Roysyn's galloping partner looked to be travelling at least as well, there are a couple of reasons - he joined in for the last 600m, Roysyn was only clicked up in the final 50m and Almelad is smart. Very, very smart.
Almelad is still a maiden, but before a leg problem sidelined him he finished second to subsequent group one winner Vegas then finished second again with a pretty useful horse third - Zonda.
"I won't give Roysyn a stayer's preparation this campaign, he will run in the Japan International at Tauranga and the Easter at Ellerslie. I've got no worries he'll handle the 1600m of both if he's set for it."
More frustration
Foxwood, along with Zonda, another cause of James' frustrations, is doing fantastically well heading for the $A1 million Doncaster.
"She'll kick off in the Terrace Regency at Otaki, then go to the $A250,000 Coolmore Classic before the Doncaster."
If James had a huge autumn, it will be deserved.
Short odds on Nayahan
Nahayan is short at $1.75 early favourite for Saturday's $250,000 Oaks at Trentham.
But if she runs straight it's still more generous odds than the 2000-1 the TAB is offering on Namibia to win the Rugby World Cup.
Yangtze River, the main danger, is at $6, Savannah Success $12, Dancing Daze $15 and No Alimony and Soap Opera $18.
Bawalaksana at $3.50 is just nudging Trans Siberia ($3.75) out of Telegraph favouritism ahead of Hero ($6.50), Bahnhof Zoo ($7) and Vain Ana ($12).
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