By MIKE DILLON
Ask John Wells how many horses he's raced and he doesn't know.
He knows only that it's "well in excess of 100".
Not many in the entire world of racing can claim that.
Add up the oats 100-plus horses can chew through in collective careers and you could feed the population of a small Third World country for three months.
One thing Wells is certain of is that he has made his own luck in racing.
He has backed his judgment and his luck at every turn.
Like when he bought his biggest winner, Auckland Cup winner Royal Tiara.
Trevor McKee bought the mare for himself, but Wells insisted on being allowed to buy it from him.
"I really didn't want to sell her, but I said okay, provided I trained her," said McKee yesterday.
Wells did the same to McKee with Saturday's Wanganui Guineas winner Bank Note.
McKee went to buy Bank Note as a yearling, but Wells similarly liked the horse as he was about to be auctioned and convinced McKee to allow him to pay for him.
Wise move.
By the way Bank Note won on Saturday he is headed for much bigger headlines than the winner of the first of the season's 3-year-old features.
Bank Note was lucky to finish Saturday's race, let alone win it.
At the 300m Daryll Bradley on Shadow was on Bank Note's outside and looked determined to push the Takanini 3-year-old back behind the weakening leading bunch.
He did, but Bank Note was travelling so smoothly Michael Walker managed to push Shadow back out and get himself into the clear.
The risk of clipping heels and falling had momentarily been extreme.
"I was really worried for a moment," said McKee.
"He made it very tough on us."
Wanganui's short home straight would normally never allow a horse time to regain composure and balance and sprint to the lead and win.
The fact that Bank Note managed that and won going away with energy to spare is what you need to register for assessing the spring and summer classics.
"Michael Walker was amazed at what he did," said McKee.
"He said he had plenty in the tank as well."
McKee has no doubts Bank Note is a Derby contender.
"The further he goes the better he'll get."
In recent years most Derby winners have emerged remarkably late in the lead-up - Bank Note has declared his intentions at the first opportunity.
John Wells has won races in recent seasons with Zabeels Angel and Creme De Honor, but overall has had a lean spell compared to the heady days of winning major races with Royal Tiara and Flying Luskin.
"I was racing horses here 30 years ago when Nigel Landers was still training at Cambridge."
Zabeels Angel found a firm track against her in Melbourne last week and Wells is hoping for some rain for her second start there this Saturday.
"She's thriving over there, but they broke 1.10 for 1200m last week and that's not her go."
The McKees' other Wanganui runner, Cheetie, looked stylish racing away with the $25,000 Waikato Stud Stakes.
It was the filly's first start for the stable after winning her initial race for the late Ray Bishara.
It will not be Cheetie's last.
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