KEY POINTS:
We should have known it was the wrong sort of question to ask Graeme Rogerson.
"How many races have you won worth a million dollars or more?"
To be fair, Rogerson made a fair attempt at counting them back on his fingers while juggling his carphone and the
steering wheel, then gave up and said: "We don't look backwards, we only look forward."
It's a philosophy that's served Rogerson reasonably well over the years.
And it could lead he and training partner Garry Newham to pick up tomorrow's inaugural $1 million Karaka Million at Ellerslie with San Bernardino.
San Bernardino has been the favourite for the Million for quite a while, but shortened further when he drew an all-important inside barrier (No 3) on Wednesday.
That was despite being beaten into third behind Lady Alberton and Maureen Dorothy in the Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie over the carnival.
San Bernadino had been extremely dominant winning the reverse left-handed way at Te Rapa previously and there is a strong suggestion the right-handed Ellerslie was the reason he looked to be slightly uncomfortable around the home bend, the point at which Lady Alberton put a winning break on him.
What characterised his winning run at Te Rapa is likely to put him right in this finish - the ability to lift to an overdrive when the pressure goes on.
You can never pre-empt these things, but it will be a surprise if there is not real speed on in this race - if horses are caught wide they can't afford to sit there for a million dollars - and the tougher the race, the better suited San Bernardino will be.
"He worked sensationally yesterday morning," said Rogerson. "I'm really excited about this race - anything that promotes for racing excites me."
Rogerson says he's similarly got the hots for his Derby runner Steel in the first race at Ellerslie tomorrow.
"The reason we're running him in this race rather than the Waikato Guineas is to give him more practice around Ellerslie for the Derby. He's got a bit lost the couple of times he's raced at Ellerslie.
"He's got gears this horse. He just hasn't quite learned how to use them."
The dangers to San Bernardino are many. Nuke Time is smart. His Ellerslie win, seen as fortuitous by some, was still achieved under difficulties.
Fyfetheknife was only 1.6 lengths off Captain Fantastic in third place after starting from a wide gate in last week's $100,000 Wellesley at Trentham, which is good form.
The fillies El Quello Veloce and Raid are not out of it. When El Quello Veloce won at Woodville last start she looked to be struggling at the 200m and found an overdrive when Noel Harris asked her. Raid similarly fought very gamely to win at Ellerslie last start.
Producing a stout finish is going to be important and I Robot and Concerto are two who could fit that bill.
I Robot got a little lost around Ellerslie when 1.8 lengths off Lady Alberton in that strong form race over the carnival, and a better guide might be the way he brilliantly finished off to win at Manawatu before that.
Concerto was fourth to Nuke Time on Boxing Day, but the way he finished powerfully from last to win on debut at Avondale, sweeping past Nuke Time in the straight, showed real talent.
Graeme Rogerson had a late thought.
"Hang on, when I won the Stradbroke with Brenlaine wasn't it the first million-dollar sprint in Australia? Check it out."
Nah, we're going to do a Rogey, we're going to look forward, not back.
We're anticipating one of the most fascinating juvenile races we've seen in years.
Congratulations to New Zealand Bloodstock for the concept.
