Racing: The Chosen One a chance in $400,000 Herbie Dyke at Te Rapa after promising trial

The Chosen One was flat turning for home at Rotorua on Monday but ran on well after the line. Photo / Race Images

For a horse facing the daunting proposition of taking on Melody Belle without a race under his belt for three months, The Chosen One's trial at Rotorua was hardly convincing stuff.

But what the outstanding galloper did after the trial was far more pleasing for his connections.

The Caulfield Cup placegetter hasn't started since finishing fourth to the Europeans in the Melbourne Cup on November 6 and will go in to next week's $400,000 Herbie Dyke at Te Rapa in that state.

Today was his second preparation trial and he was flat turning for home in the 1215m open catchweight and only really started to take ground off the leaders in the last 100m.

Stop that trial video at the winning post and maybe The Chosen One has done enough to suggest he can at least place behind Melody Belle as she chases her 14th Group 1 next week.

But keep watching what happened after the line in the trial and The Chosen One's real fitness levels show out, ones that suggest he is a deserved second or at worst third favourite for next week.

Jockey Troy Harris rode him through the line and around the bend to turn the trial into more of a 1400m or even 1500m gallop, and once The Chosen One got a head of steam up, Harris struggled to pull him up.

"That was the idea, to give him a really good hit out and Troy said he felt great after the line," says co-trainer Andrew Forsman.

"So he got the hitout he needed and is where he needs to be. Next week, taking on the mare is obviously very tricky but he will be as ready as we can have him without a race.

"And outside of her, he is more proven at the highest level than most of the horses he will meet next week and even most of the other horses in the country.

"So it will be good to have him back, even though it is a stepping stone to his Sydney campaign."

Forsman and training partner Murray Baker had two reasons to be happy with the trial, as Auckland Cup contender Star Tsar showed surprising speed to win the sprint trial.

"They only went slow but he was very good. He had a week off after winning the Dunstan Feeds Final on New Year's Day and he will head to the Avondale Cup next," says Forsman.

That $100,000 2400m event is at Ellerslie on February 20, three weeks before Star Tsar's main aim of the $500,000 Auckland Cup on March 13.

Meanwhile, the Baker and Forsman-trained Aegon was officially withdrawn from the All Stars Mile in Melbourne in March, and with the Melody Belle camp also suggesting their mare is not heading there, Probabeel is the only Kiwi-trained galloper now in the A$5 million race at The Valley.

Rocket Spade ready at Te Rapa

Exciting 3-year-old Rocket Spade is tackling older horses at Te Rapa tomorrow as part of his preparation for the Group 1 NZ Derby (2400m).

Rocket Spade, trained by Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott at Matamata, is the favourite for the Derby after his victory in the Group 2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.

In previous years, the Waikato Guineas (2000m) was run on the first weekend of February but is now run on the second weekend, just a week before the Avondale Guineas,

"There's no other race for him," O'Sullivan said. "It's a difficult space because we want to give him two runs over ground before the Derby."

Rocket Spade will carry 62kg at Te Rapa, giving weight to all his opponents and O'Sullivan said his colt doesn't need to win to stay on the Derby track in the Fasttrack Handicap.

"He hasn't been to the races for five or so weeks, it's his first run over ground, and you look at the weight he's got to carry compared to older horses.

"You wouldn't really expect him to win," he said.

Provided Rocket Spade gets through the race well, he will then head to the Avondale Guineas on February 20 as his lead-in to the Derby on March 6.

- NZ Racing Desk