Racing: Confidence wins the day for irrepressible Velazquez

Nifty jumping helped Cee Gee Jay win the Otago Hurdles yesterday. Photo / ODT

Outside of sheer ability, if there is one essential ingredient in racehorses and jockeys, it's confidence.

Horses and jockeys seem to feed off each other with that element.

Take John Velazquez in winning yesterday's Belmont Stakes on Union Rags.

When Velazquez walked into the mounting yard in New York trainer Michael Matz opened his mouth to provide riding instructions.

Except Velazquez beat him to it: "Yeah, break good, get in a rhythm and go from there", which might well have been the instructions had Matz been given the opportunity to provide them.

In a magnificently-penned story by Joe Drape in the New York Times, Matz, apparently not given to humour, said nothing.

He had plenty on his mind. He had only just sacked jockey Julien Leparoux after sub-standard rides when Union Rags was sent out favourite in the Kentucky and Florida Derbys.

Velazquez was true to his mounting yard confidence. Around the 500m bend he stayed so close to the rail his inside foot must have been close to touching it then got through a gap inside the leader 250m out that Mike Smith should not have allowed himself to present. The ride won the race.

Loyalty is another element that is important in horse racing - but you rarely see it.

Jocelyn Burley is loyal to the jockeys who ride trackwork for her at Cambridge, one of the reasons Rogan Norvall was aboard when he got the Burley-trained Happyto Keepa home by a nose in the $25,000 Norris Ward McKinnon Handicap at Te Rapa on Saturday.

And it didn't finish there.

"C'mon you trainers, give Rogan a break, he's one of the most under-rated riders around," said Burley when interviewed on Trackside Television.Roger James might not have had quite the result he was looking for in Saturday's A$500,000 Queensland Derby with Red Shift, but a winning treble at Te Rapa helped produce a smile.

Holy Moly, The Tidy Express and Le Moussier all looked good winning consecutive races.

No Rush'n had his first win in new ownership and his first for two years when he triumphed in the Otago Steeplechase yesterday.

No Rush'n joined the leader with 800m to go and the 12-year-old came again after being headed inside the 200m to win by 1 lengths in the hands of Ross Doherty at Wingatui.

No Rush'n was leased this season by Washdyke trainer David Hutton, his wife, Terry, with Ross and Vicki Stackhouse, of Ashburton. The veteran won four times over country, including the 2009 Manawatu Steeplechase for Hastings owner-trainer, Paul Nelson.

Rider Stewart Moir and local trainers Brian and Shane Anderton combined to win the Otago Hurdles with Cee Gee Jay and a maiden hurdle with High Forty.

Cee Gee Jay is unbeaten in three starts over hurdles since she was switched from flat racing a month ago.

She was in front at the 2000m, then gave way to Shakeitup at the 1200m. She regained the lead before the second-last fence, when Shakeitup made a faulty landing and parted company with Richard Cully. Cee Gee Jay drew clear to win by 16 lengths.

"I may have to look at a flat race with Cee Gee Jay before the National meeting, otherwise there is a risk that she will have too much weight," Shane Anderton said.

- Additional reporting Tayler Strong