Racing: Bring on next lot to test top filly

Wherever her champion Takanini filly Justa Tad runs next Megan Liefting only hopes it is sooner rather than later.

Liefting fears that spelling the New Zealand Oaks winner trained by her husband Rudy for too long will throw up a whole new set of potential problems.

"She hates not being in work and is definitely the boss of the place," said the former jockey, who rides Justa Tad in all her work.

"Every morning when she goes out to the track she has to walk past [trainer] Don Walker's stall to get a pat. If she doesn't, she'll buck and throw her toys out of the cot."

As Rudy Liefting drove back from Wellington to Takanini with the most valuable equine cargo on the road yesterday, the feeling was that Justa Tad may now be set for the Queensland winter carnival.

Wherever she goes, Megan Liefting is convinced it will be in the same colours.

Despite the seven figure offers that have been floating around over the last few weeks, the Takanini saddlers are adamant their $1000 Istidaad weanling is not for sale.

"We've never really been tempted to sell - a horse like Justa Tad really has set us up for life," she said.

"We could never afford to buy something as good and even a broodmare with a group one win is still out of our price range.

"In the long run, we're setting ourselves up for more of a future by keeping her and in the meantime, she's really been helping with the mortgage."

Saturday's win pushed her stakes tally past the $450,000 mark and took her to an unassailable lead in the Filly of the Year series.

Megan Liefting, who retired from race riding after the last in a series of bad spills three months ago, admits she wasn't as confident as her husband that Justa Tad would run the 2400m Oaks trip like she did on Saturday.

"But I wasn't so worried when I saw she had dropped back - I knew then that she would relax and still have that sprint home."

Rider Vinny Colgan knew a long way from home that Justa Tad would avenge her Royal Stakes defeat and reclaim the fillies crown.

"I wasn't worried we were so far back because she rolled on to the bit and travelled comfortably," said Colgan.

"This filly would have to be right up with the best I've ridden - she just keeps on getting better and better.

"She's just got everything in front of her."