Impressive effort opens up options as star filly accounts for rivals with ease.
"Do you think she'll run 2000m?" asked owner Peter Vela as Banchee lurched over the line, clear of the opposition in last night's New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Karaka 3YO Mile at Ellerslie.
Well, she nearly did in this race.
It was no fault of rider James McDonald that Banchee had
to go wider than only one runner on the home bend after being in an impossible third last at the 600m.
"She just killed them," said a delighted McDonald.
"Killed them", after Banchee looked in a class of her own and she put paid to the opposition in a sprint that took only 200m.
This was another piece of the jigsaw that has seen Banchee - last season's champion juvenile - come from early-season duffer to even better than she was a year ago.
Her previous win at Ellerslie was almost as good as this.
"No problem at all running 2000m," said trainer John Sargent.
McDonald holds similar thoughts.
There are no plans about where to from this race, said Sargent, but the 2000m option opens up so many more avenues. "Peter and I just wanted to get through this race. It's been a good result."
Icepin took his earnings to beyond $300,000 with his second and probably remains the most forgotten 3-year-old of the season.
Equally delighted as her dad was Victoria Vela, who owns a share in third-placed Sydney filly Miss Confidential.
There were no excuses here - Banchee was simply too good.
In what looks a classic year for 3-year-old fillies, Banchee will eventually be remembered with reverence.
Arakti marched his way into the $2.2 Telecom Derby on March 5 without really even trying last night.
The talent he displayed to win the $30,000 Curraghmore Stud 2100m may be what exactly takes him out of contention for the Derby.
Arakti is at this point of his career very much one-paced.
Australian jockey Michael Rodd used that element to beat last night's talent, leading and running the sprint out of the opposition to score untested.
Even Rodd lamented the lack of real sprint in Arakti at this point.
"My worry is that when he gets up into the best classes they might get him if he doesn't develop a sprint," said Rodd, in a professional declaration many jockeys struggle with.
Rodd has had a great association with the stable of Murray and Bjorn Baker, that produced Arakti.
"They gave me my first group one victory [Prized Gem's Brisbane Cup] and I won the big race [Karaka Million] for the stable on The Heckler. I love pulling on the blue and gold."
The Baker stable have commissioned a raft of tests on their Wellington Cup failure Mr Tipsy to see if there is a physical problem that saw the stayer race well below his best in Saturday's big staying test.
"We have no idea what caused him to race like that," said co-trainer Bjorn Baker at Ellerslie last night.
Plans are understandably undecided around Mr Tipsy.
"He could go to the (A$300,000) Tasmanian Cup or stay here for the Auckland Cup," said Baker.
The stable produced two of its stars We Can Say It Now and Harris Tweed in a gallop between races at Te Aroha on Friday. "Very delighted with both of them," said Baker.
"We Can Say It Now is very much on track for the 1400m big sprint at Te Rapa on Saturday week and we're still throwing a few things around with Harris Tweed. At this point the BMW [2400m] in Sydney is likely to be his big aim."
King's Rose and Keep The Peace looked good in their gallop between races at Te Aroha.
Keep The Peace will face We Can Say It Now in the group one Waikato Draught Sprint and King's Rose will take on the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic.
