Racing: Final races produce some stirring performances

Huge racing programmes are being planned for two of the late winners at Te Rapa yesterday.

Michael Coleman arrived at Te Rapa yesterday looking for a positive to fill the Xcellent Cox Plate void and found it in winning the last race on Brampton Legs.

The sway back, giant Zabeel mare might have had only five career starts as a 5-year-old, but she has a lot of recommendations.

She is a sister to the Caulfield Cup winner of 10 days ago Railings and the Moroney/Scott stable is tipping a big future for her.

Yesterday's race was essentially for one-win horses but Coleman was thinking way ahead.

"The Auckland Cup here we come," said Coleman, even before jumping off the grey mare's back.

To grab an Auckland Cup from this point would be one of the great coups.

"We've had to wait a long time for this mare - just look at her size," said stable representative Paul Moroney. "Her brain has also not been ideal at times."

Brampton Legs headed out after the lead with 100m to run, but looked long odds to get it even with five strides to go.

The way she stretched to grab the front left no doubt she is headed for top class.

If the stable is looking for Auckland Cup glory, wheelchair-bound Cambridge trainer Ray Peake would love to think he's got a chance in the Waikato Gold Cup at Te Rapa with Art Link after a gallant win yesterday.

The problem is Peake wants yesterday's rider Grant Cooksley in the saddle.

With Art Link having to take a suitable dive in the weights when he steps up to open company for races like the Waikato Cup, the vastly experienced Cooksley might be out of play.

Peake has a great fondness for Cooksley, who rode winners for him before a jumping accident put him in a wheelchair.

That fondness means he would not ask Cooksley to ride lighter than he felt comfortable with.

"As a Maori I wouldn't expect him to," Peake joked with the audience in the Waikato Racing Club's hospitality room after the race.

Asked later what he could possibly ride at if Art Link ran in the Waikato Gold Cup, Cooksley said: "Not very light."

Cooksley said it wouldn't matter. Any rider, he suggested, would suit the ultra-relaxed Art Link.

"He'll travel for any rider. Because of circumstances, I went a bit earlier than I wanted to, but it didn't matter, they were never going to run him down."