New Zealand might just be on the verge of a golden period of top racehorses.
After a handful of years when we started to drop behind Australia in an overall form index with few exceptions, the Queensland carnival showed the corner has been turned.
The Kiwis as a group shone
in the sun and it could have been better - there is no doubt Gee I Jane should have won one of Australia's crown jewels, the A$1 million ($1.2 million) Stradbroke.
Gee I Jane is not finished with the Australians and, with the likes of Darci Brahma, Seachange and half a dozen other emerging types to back her up, the next 12 months should be interesting.
There is some real quality coming through and we're going to see one of them, Jazzella, go around in the $60,000 Oceanz Seafood Breeders Stakes at Ruakaka.
The classy filly is up for nearly $180,000 in stakes, bonuses and special payments if she can take the last leg of the inaugural Ruakaka 2-year-old treble.
And she should.
If she is in the same form that saw her take the first two legs by margins of 2 lengths and 5.5 lengths she will win, despite some talented opposition.
This is probably a very special filly and what is exciting is that she is not the typical, precocious, burning juvenile type that beats the opposition with blinding speed.
Some of those types don't improve - Jazzella looks to have substance and should get better as a 3-year-old.
The only negative is that you won't be able to back her at the short odds she'll doubtless come up at.
Quinellas and trifectas are normally the only way to go in these situations and it is perhaps a shame once more that Roma and Amazing Me strongly stand out on form as the two dangers.
Faalcon and Ringburner are perhaps two that could spice the trifecta a shade.
Laura Cheshire has only to find Speedalot (No6, R7) a reasonably clear path from the back in the closing 500m to be one of the better bets at Ruakaka. The filly impressed with her fast finish into third at Ellerslie two starts back and was then narrowly beaten over 1600m at Te Rapa.
She steps to a middle distance this afternoon and that should be the key to her breaking through. Anne Boleyn (No4) and Steel Tycoon (No14) are trifecta chances.
It took All's Well to deny Star Of Rio (No4, R1) victory at Avondale and he thoroughly deserves a win. This race is no gimme, but Star Of Rio is once again going to give a great sight. He will look the winner at some stage of the home straight and is a real chance to see it through.
Neveragain (No2, R2) is probably not the sort of name you associate with a good bet at the races, but this bloke should win a race in the next start or two. He was caught in the last couple of bounds at Te Rapa last start and should go close today with talented Craig Grylls taking 3kg off again.
Torrential rain this week will make the Wellington meeting at Awapuni tough going.
It's a raffle as to what will handle the going on the day, but one worth a thought is Del Toro (No3, R9). He's had a short break from racing and showed he was ready for this when he beat a little nag by the name of Seachange at the recent Cambridge trials.
Sure, Seachange was well short of her best, but even at that level she takes beating and the pair left the others to it.
The 2kg Lee Callaway pulls off De Toro's back will be valuable.
There are plenty of chances here and you'd need to be looking at around $6 for value. He's a very genuine customer.
Opinion by
New Zealand might just be on the verge of a golden period of top racehorses.
After a handful of years when we started to drop behind Australia in an overall form index with few exceptions, the Queensland carnival showed the corner has been turned.
The Kiwis as a group shone
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